

EDGE

OF

DISASTER

A.M. HARGROVE

Copyright 2012 A.M. Hargrove  
Smashwords 1st Edition

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Acknowledgements

This one snuck up on me...literally. The idea popped into my head and drove me crazy until I wrote the story. I had to put reEmergent (Book 4 of the Guardians of Vesturon) on hold until I finished this book. Sorry Guardians fans, but I knew if I didn't, you wouldn't be getting the best of Xarrid and Saylan. I promise, their story will be coming soon.

Thank you Terri Thomas, my great friend who the character in the book, Terri, was named for, and who guided me along with this story. You can find her at www.mybookboyfriend.blogspot.com. She's one of the very few who even knew of Edge's existence.

Thank you Misty Provencher for telling me it could be done and listening to me rant about all the other stuff. You can find Misty and her amazing books at www.mistypro.blogspot.com.

Lastly, thank you Jennifer Nunez. I don't have enough space here to write what I'd really like to, so I'll just say how fabulous I think you are and stop at that. For those of you who don't know, she's my editor.

And for all the members of the BGC out there, now you know why I was MIA for the last month...Pearce was taking up most of my time!

All the characters in this book are fictitious. While the Middleton name does exist in Charleston, the characters in this book bearing that name are strictly a part of my imagination.

I would like to acknowledge, however, the amazing artist, Laurie Meyer. She is a real person and the most talented artist around and I'm lucky to call her my friend. You can find her beautiful work at galleries in and around Charleston as well as at www.lauriemayer.com. And yes, she does travel to Italy and paint beautiful scenes of Tuscany and other places she's visited. If you haven't checked out her website, go do it now. I can't say enough about her work. By the way, she's funny as hell too! I miss you Laurie!

For Henry Pearce Hargrove, whom I neglected a bit (well, maybe a lot) while writing this.
EDGE OF DISASTER

CHAPTER ONE

The relentless hammering in my skull woke me from my sleep. Why wouldn't my head stop hurting? Why, oh why? I kept asking myself that question when I knew damned good and well the answer. I groaned and tried to pry my eyes open, but they must've been super-glued shut. I knew what would happen next, but I prayed anyway that it wouldn't. But, bam, there it was, just as I expected. That nasty churning in my stomach. I could feel the bile winding its way up my esophagus. I scrambled around, attempting to untangle myself from the sheets so I could get to the bathroom before I made a mess.

I finally succeeded in opening my eyes, but I immediately wished I hadn't. What greeted me made that churning turn into a volcano of epic proportions. I was sandwiched between Beavis and Butthead...like the bologna between two pieces of bread. I stumbled out of the bed and hunted a bathroom because I had no clue where it was.

Luckily, it wasn't too far off so I made it just in time for the morning eruption of nastiness. I finally finished and then used the commode for what it was originally intended. Then I staggered to the sink to wash my face and rinse my mouth. As luck would have it, I spied a tube a toothpaste, so I squeezed a glob onto my finger and hastily "brushed" my teeth. I glanced in the mirror and my reflection almost made me hurl again. Mascara was smeared across my cheeks and my lashes were clumped together with it. No damn wonder I couldn't open my eyes. I looked like I'd been rode hard and put up wet...well, I'm pretty sure I had. From the scene that greeted me in the bedroom, no telling what had happened last night. My body trembled as I tried to piece the puzzle together, but that roiling in my gut started again so I had to think about something else for the moment. I needed to get the hell out of wherever I was.

I cracked open the bathroom door and peeked out. When I was confident that Beavis and Butthead were still crashed out, I tiptoed into the bedroom in search of my clothes. No luck, so I headed into the living room. Where the hell was I? I hadn't been here before that I could recall. That was probably a good thing. It would save me tons of embarrassment later on. At least I'd never have to run into either of them and act like I knew them.

I finally found my clothes. My sequined halter top and mini skirt looked like hooker attire in the morning hours. Wouldn't Mom be proud of me now? Gawd, what the hell was I thinking last night?

Get real Alexia! You know exactly why you wore that outfit.

It was no use denying the truth of my inner conscience. It was the only thing that kept me going sometimes. Like now, I guess. Geez, how the hell was I supposed to go home wearing this get up? My shaking increased, along with the nausea again. I deserved every bit of it too. I looked around for my purse as I slipped into my "ho" outfit. It was then I noticed all the remnants of our partying from last night...or maybe I should say this morning. A tray with a razor blade, a short straw and a dusting of coke was all that was left. I felt the bitterness fill my mouth as I shook my head. I turned away, and resumed the hunt for my purse and shoes. Grabbing them, I made a beeline for the door and exited the place.

I was in a cutesy neighborhood, but didn't know where. Where the hell was my car? Did I even drive here? My car wasn't in the street so I guess I rode with Beavis and Butthead. Shit, every time I thought of them I wanted to hurl. It finally dawned on me that I had walked to the club last night and left my car at home.

I yanked my phone out of my purse and asked Siri to tell me where I was. In that stupid voice of hers, she told me I was off of Mathis Ferry Road in Mount Pleasant. Great! How the hell was I going to get back to downtown Charleston?

I hit Terri's number and I heard, "Uh huh?"

"I need help. You gotta pick me up." My voice was edged with desperation.

Her answer came in at full on alert. "Shit Lex. What'd ya do now?"

"I'll tell you when you get here, but please hurry."

"Where are you?" she huffed.

"In Mount Pleasant. Off Mathis Ferry."

"Shit! It's only 8:30!"

"I know. I'll make it up to you. I promise."

"On my way. You owe me."

"I know. Love you Terr."

"Yeah. I know."

I hid behind the bushes, hoping the neighbors didn't think I was some sort of perv stalker. Or even worse, hoping that Beavis or Butthead, or Barney or Fred, or whoever the hell they were didn't walk outside for the Saturday morning Post and Courier that was sitting at the curb.

Shit! When was I going to straighten my act up?

Twenty minutes later, Terri pulled up and I hopped in her car. I let go of a long breath and rubbed my arms up and down trying to dispel the chill, even though it was already over eighty degrees outside.

"I won't say a word other than this shit has got to stop. You're going to end up dead one day." Her tone was harsh.

"I know. I don't know what gets into me."

"Come on Lex. Get real with yourself. You know what's going on or do I need to spell it out for you?"

I just sat there, huddled in the seat, feeling like a tired old whore. "No," I finally answered.

"Then when are you gonna do something about it?"

I shook my head, not wanting to answer her. There really wasn't any point. Then came the big question I'd been dreading.

"So, who did you end up with this time? Did you even know the poor guy?"

I bristled at that. 'The poor guy.' What about me?

In a tiny voice that trembled, I said, "There were two of them and no, I didn't know either of them."

Terri hit the brakes with both feet sending the car into a near fishtail spin. If I hadn't been wearing a seatbelt, my ass would have shot clean through my stomach and would now be plastered to the windshield. Bringing the car to a stop, she looked at me with eyes that dug into my soul.

"Please don't go all mommy on me now. I'm about to crack here," I begged.

"That fucking makes two of us."

She wouldn't stop looking at me and it was killing me. I clasped my hands in my lap and dug my nails into my palms. I couldn't tear my eyes away from hers.

"If he were here, this would be killing him all over again."

"Oh God, don't. Please don't say that right now. I'm the biggest shit around. I know that. But don't rub my nose in it."

The enormity of what she said bulldozed into me and I opened the car door, leaned over and threw up again. The tears ran freely but I never really cried anymore. Not the sobbing sort of crying that you'd think of. Those days were long gone. What remained now was only a shell of my former self.

Terri grabbed my hands and held them tightly in hers. "Listen to me Alexia. You know I love you. But you gotta promise me something right now."

"What?"

"No! You gotta promise first!"

"Okay, I promise. What did I just promise?"

"You gotta promise to quit doing the fucking recreational drugs. You got white shit all over the outside of your nose so I know you were coked up last night. No tellin' what you smoked. Add alcohol to that and you're a disaster waiting to happen. I so do not want to get that call in the middle of the night. So promise me!"

"Okay. I promise."

"No more drugs. Say it."

"No more drugs."

"I mean it Lex. This is the last time I'm bailing you out. The next time you're on your own. I can't keep doing this for you 'cause it's killing me. I look at you and see what you're doing to yourself. I can't do it anymore. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

I sniffed and nodded. She handed me a box of tissues and I wiped my face. "I'm so sorry I've put you through all this. I know how close you were with him."

"He would be so torn up over you right now. Straighten up for him Lexi. I know you. This isn't you. It's been three years now. You have to find a way to move on. Go into therapy. Anything."

"I've done therapy. You know that. I think it made me worse. That's when I started doing the stupid drugs." I looked at our joined hands and felt so hollow inside.

"You had a bad therapist. Try a different one. Anything Lex. I can't watch you do this to yourself anymore."

She let go of my hands and started driving again. We crossed the Arthur Ravenel bridge over the Cooper River and made our way into downtown Charleston. I lived on Legare Street right off of Tradd in a carriage house owned by the wonderfully wicked blue-haired Charlestonian, Lisbeth Rhett Dubose Rutledge. I worked part-time as her personal assistant in exchange for free rent. My other job was working as a waitress at Camellia's, an upscale restaurant.

Terri pulled into my driveway, which was separate from Lisbeth's of course (as no self-respecting blue-blooded Charlestonian would want to share a driveway with their help), and turned her car off. When she got out of her car I began to get suspicious.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm coming in for a visit," she answered as she made her way to my door.

We went inside and in a voice I didn't dare argue with, she said, "Take a shower and get changed."

"Why?"

"Because, now do it."

I really didn't feel like an argument. I headed to my fridge and grabbed a bottle of Gatorade, cracked it open and quickly guzzled half its contents. My insides must've been pickled because I felt better almost immediately. Then I headed to my shower and scrubbed myself mercilessly. I took a good look at my naked self afterward and winced at my reflection. There were multiple bite marks and bruises all over my chest, breasts, stomach and the insides of my thighs. Those two guys obviously had gone to town on me. I pushed that thought to the back of my mind, fearing the Gatorade would make a return visit.

I gave my teeth a good brushing and put on some makeup, but only a little bit and foregoing mascara altogether. I couldn't stand the thought of having my lashes caked with the stuff again.

Heading to my room, I rambled through my closet and pulled on a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans. No shorts today. Those bruises needed to fade away first.

"So, what's up?" I asked.

"I'm taking you to the MUSC outpatient clinic."

"What do I need to go to the Medical University of South Carolina for?"

"You need to get tested for HIV and other stuff like Hepatitis."

"Tell me you're kidding."

"I'm not. You've been screwing around with God only knows who and you have no idea where those guys have been or who they even are, so you're going to get tested. And then there're the drugs, which put you at risk for Hep-C. You need to make sure you're healthy."

I groaned. "Can't we do this another day?"

"Nope. Let's go."

There was no use arguing with Terri. When she made up her mind about something that was it. I followed her out to the car and off we went.

The sterile environment of the clinic made me shudder. A nurse ushered me into a room and then the questions started.

How many partners have you had? Did you have anal intercourse? Do you do drugs? What kinds? Any IV drugs? Any cocaine? And on and on...

If that wasn't invasive and humiliating enough, the blood tests and physical examinations that followed certainly were. I was swabbed and scraped for specimens to be placed on slides that would be tested for every STD known to man, and probably some that weren't. I wanted to cry, but didn't. I'd gotten myself into this mess so I needed to take it like a big girl. Or the slut that I was.

When I was finished, they said they would call within a week with the results. We ended up spending the better part of the morning there.

Afterwards, she treated me to lunch...not that I really felt like eating much then. I made her take me to Home Team for some wings. I ended up paying the bill because I was the one who'd dragged her but out of bed and made her pick me up that morning.

When she dropped me off, she reminded me of my promise. "Swear to me Lex."

"I already did," I said miserably.

"No, I want you to swear to me over Peter."

My breath caught in my throat. I looked at her and she knew she had me then.

"You know it's what he would've wanted me to do. He would've hated himself for not finding a way to stop you from doing this. I'm surprised he hasn't come back somehow and talked some sense into you."

"Stop Terr. Please. I just can't talk about him."

"You have to talk about him. He's the reason behind all of this. Ignoring him won't make it go away. Admitting it is your first step to recovery."

"Whatever. I swear to you over Peter. No more drugs Terr."

Hours later I woke up from my nap and turned on the TV. I was feeling better physically, but my head and heart were sick over what I'd done the night before. What had gotten into me that I'd let myself do something so awful? I was not that kind of girl. Then again, maybe I was. No one forced me to leave with Barney and Fred. I'd done it on my own. No one had forced me to snort that coke or drink until I was half crazed. And worst of all, no one had forced me to have sex with two men at the same time. I was the slut that decided to do that all on my own.

Terri was right. Peter would die all over again if he could see me like this. I had to get my shit together or I would end up dead one day.
CHAPTER TWO

Lisbeth had me running all over hell and half of Georgia on Monday. I had to take her poodle, Miss Birdie, to get her hair shampooed and trimmed. Then I had to take Lisbeth herself in for the same, except she had to have a bit of a rinse put on, as she called it.

On a whim, Lisbeth had decided she wanted to redecorate her home. Since it was on the historic register in South Carolina, she had to have someone from the local committee come in and review the plans. She didn't intend to make any structural changes...just painting and fabrics, new furniture and such. She was a stickler about adhering to the rules, so I had to make sure all the fabric swatches and paint samples were there, along with the other things she planned to do. The representative from the committee would arrive right after lunch. In the meantime, I made sure Lisbeth had eaten lunch and then I left to pick up Miss Birdie from the groomer's.

Later that afternoon I went for a run around downtown, came home, showered and got ready for my other job.

********

Monday's weren't usually our busiest night, but when I arrived at work, I was surprised to hear we were solidly booked.

"We have a huge party in the private room," our hostess, Katie, said. "It's some group with the Medical University."

"Humph. I was hoping to get out of here early tonight."

"You still might. You know how those stodgy doctors can be sometimes."

"Yeah. But it's the middle of summer so it might mean a graduation party or an incoming group of fellows."

"Whatever."

I headed back to the kitchen to check out the specials for the night. Chef always made us taste everything so we could describe it to our patrons. It was going to be the crispy flounder and wahoo for seafood. He also had a pork tenderloin and a seafood over creamy grits special. I had a difficult time deciding which one I liked best.

I put on my apron and figured I would be the one assigned to that big group. Sure enough, I heard the floor manager say, "Alexia, you, Joe and Sam will handle the private room. Think the three of you can handle it?"

"No problem," I replied. I was quite sure two of us could do it fine. There would be twenty people. They would bus the food out to us as well as the drinks so the difficult part was handled.

"Are they all here already?"

"Yeah, they had reservations for six o'clock."

I laughed. "They must've thought we have an early bird or something."

The three of us headed over to the private room. The guys always like to let me take the lead because I had a knack for describing food...or so they said. I think they just like to weasel out of doing it. I really didn't mind though because they always gave me a hand when I needed it in delivering my entrees.

I went over each of the appetizer and dinner specials and then we took their drink orders. I'd been right about the group. They were first year fellows coming in to do their training in trauma surgery. I smiled tightly at the first few I hit. I made my way around the group until I got to the fifth person.

"I'll have a Grey Goose extra dirty martini with extra olives."

Okay, first off that was my favorite drink. Second, his voice sounded like rich waves tumbling over smooth rocks. I lifted my eyes and they landed on sizzling smoky gray, bedroom orbs that were heavily fringed in onyx lashes. My gaze drifted south to a mouth defined by full sensuous lips. I stared as his tongue peeked out and ran across his lower lip, slowly, teasingly. I swallowed and lifted my eyes north again to safer ground. Chiseled face emphasized by high cheekbones wasn't exactly what I'd call safe either. Then I noticed his dark hair was thick and curled softly around the nape of his neck. This odd urge overcame me and I had to grip down hard on my pad and pen, for I wanted to brush aside an unruly curl that fell across his forehead.

Fucking gorgeous. What the hell Lex? Get your mind on the game here!

I heard someone clear his throat so I nodded and moved along to the next customer. By the time I finished, I was sweating profusely.

JC, he put the spell on me! Dayam, he sure had some kind of mojo working there.

I practically threw my order at the bartender and dashed to the restroom. Grabbing a handful of paper towels, I jammed them into my armpits and dabbed up the unhealthy level of moisture that had formed there. Who the hell was I kidding? That wasn't moisture. That was pure T flood waters gushing out of my pores.

Shithelldamn! How the hell am I gonna wait on him now?

I tossed the towels into the trash, washed my hands, dried them and ran back to the bar to collect the tray of drinks. It was ginormous. Joe, Sam or any of my runners were nowhere to be found, so I hefted up the tray and headed to my table.

I watched Smoky Eyes as I approached and I could feel his eyes as he was downright staring at me. I set the tray down carefully and then started handing everyone their drinks. When I got to him, he took the drink from my hand, briefly touching me with his pinky. I shivered.

What the hell Lex? It was his damn pinky! Get a grip for Christ's sake.

My hand was shaking as I reached for the next glass and I knew he saw it. I could feel the heat of his eyes as they bore into me as I moved along the table. When I finished, Joe and Sam made an appearance with their drinks and then it was time to take their appetizer orders.

I reviewed the specials again, my voice shaking with nervous tension.

"Does anyone have any questions?" I asked.

"I do," Smoky Eyes said. He grinned at me, and of course, a perfect set of teeth, minus a slight chip on his left front tooth, accompanied the rest of his perfect self.

"Yes?" I countered, as I swallowed around the thickness that had formed in my throat.

"Can you tell me about the oysters?" he purred.

"Um," I swallowed again, "since it's July, our oysters are pretty much nonexistent. We do offer some fried ones, but honestly, I don't recommend them because they've been frozen."

"I see. Then what exactly do you recommend?"

His voice was like butter being spread over warm bread. Smooth, rich and creamy.

"Er, well, our grits cake with tasso gravy is our trademark appetizer. It's excellent. Our uptown eggrolls are also very tasty."

"Hmm. They both sound delicious. I think I'll try the grits cake please."

"Excellent choice." I moved around the table and completed the order on my end. I found myself on a mad dash to the kitchen, tossing my order at the chef and heading for the restroom again. At this rate, all the paper towels would be gone in an hour.

Thank heavens my runner was around to deliver the appetizers. I followed him to make sure each dish was delivered to the correct person and checked to see if everyone was pleased with their order. Smoky Eyes was purring with delight so I'd made a good call on the grits cake for him.

I took everyone's dinner order and it went fine...except for you know who. He had a ton of questions, of course. The corners of his mouth would lift a bit so I knew he recognized the effect he had on me. I was getting annoyed already...not so much with him, but with myself. How could my own body betray me so badly? Ugh!

"Tell me..."

"It's Alexia."

"Of course. Forgive me. Tell me Alexia. Is the wahoo moist and tender?"

"Yes. It's fresh off the boat today. It's pan seared and finished off in the oven. It's quite delicious."

"Is it juicy? It's not too fishy is it?"

"No, it's a very mild white fish. Not too dense and yes, it's juicy. Not dry at all." I grinned.

Someone at the table said, "Just order the damn fish already Pearce. It's only a meal for Christ's sake."

"True, but it's an important meal, isn't is Alexia?"

I raised a brow and said, "I wouldn't know. But, I don't think the fish will disappoint you."

He said under his breath, but loud enough for me to hear, "It's not the fish I'm concerned about. Yes, then I'll try the wahoo."

Thank all the gods in all heavens everywhere. Smoky Eyes has made a decision. Hallelujah!

The entire table clapped for him and I snorted.

He gave me a look that sent shivers up my spine. I moved along and finished taking the rest of the orders.

The rest of their meal went along very nicely. I remained off the radar except for the few drink orders I had to take and dessert time. Smoky Eyes ordered a very expensive port and followed every move of mine with his eyes. Damn, he was sexy.

By the time they all stood up to leave, it was nine thirty. I was ready for them to get the show on the road. The restaurant was nearly empty. I was thinking about heading down the street for a few drinks afterward.

They all headed towards the door when Smoky Eyes brushed up against me. He grabbed my hand and thanked me for my excellent service and patience with him. Then he pushed a wad of bills in my hand and walked out. This was a tip beyond what had already been left with the payment.

I headed back to the restroom and unfolded the wad and saw it was two one hundred dollar bills and his business card. Smoky Eyes had a name. I looked closely at the card. He was a trauma surgeon at the Medical University and his name was H. Pearce Middleton. On the back of the card he'd written a note:

Please call me. I'd love to take you to dinner sometime. PM

Hmm. Middleton was an old Charleston name. I wondered if he was one of those Middleton's. If so, he'd been toying with me big time. A Charleston Middleton would know what wahoo was and would also know oysters were out of season in July. In any case, it didn't matter, because I would never call him. He didn't need to get involved with me. I was a mess and he was a totally cool, put together guy that was hotter than sin and probably smarter than hell. What in the world would he do with a strung out slut that partied too hard and ended up in bed with two guys at once that she didn't even know? Besides, I wasn't ready to date anyone. Probably wouldn't ever be ready to date anyone.
CHAPTER THREE

The next morning I had to run some errands again for Lisbeth, so while I was getting my list from her, I asked her about the Charleston Middleton's.

"Do you know any of them?"

"Alexia dear, I know all of them. Why do you ask?"

"Well, last night I at work, one of my patrons was a surgeon named Pearce Middleton and I was wondering..."

"Well, dear, that would be my dear friend, Avery's grandson. She has a blooming dozen I believe. Grandchildren that is. Anyhow, Pearce is a surgeon, his daddy was a doctor, his grandaddy was a doctor and I think Pearce has two brothers that are doctors. I know one of them is here but I'm not sure about the other. In any case, Pearce is certainly a Charleston Middleton."

"Thanks Lisbeth."

"Is that all?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean my dear Alexia is are you not going to tell me anything else about him? Is he handsome? Is he going to call on you? Is he going to court you?"

I giggled. I just loved Lisbeth. She never pulled any punches.

"Lisbeth, people don't court anymore."

"Honestly, what's happened to the youth, I'll never know. Young women calling men. I declare, in my day, we never would have done such a thing!"

I burst out laughing. "Things have definitely changed. But to answer one of your questions, Pearce Middleton is quite handsome."

"Is he now?"

"Oh yeah. Very. Tall, dark with gray eyes. Let me just put it this way. I'm sure he hasn't been short on girlfriends."

"I suppose he hasn't. His daddy is a good looking man. So was his granddaddy. I guess you could say he comes by it honestly. So are you going to go out with him?"

"Why, no!"

"Alexia Smith Hammond, you listen to me. You are wasting your life away. I know what you're going to say, but you're wrong. You have to move on. It's been three years and you can't live like this forever."

"I know," I said as my shoulders slumped and I folded up into myself. I really didn't want to have this conversation with her. I didn't want to have it with anyone. Peter was always there, going nowhere and never forgotten.

"It's what he would have wanted, you know."

I looked up at her for a moment, my brows creased. I thought for a second and then I said, shaking my head, "No Lisbeth, I think he would have preferred to have lived."

I turned and walked away.

********

I finished all my work and went home. I plopped on my bed with a puff and lay back for a second thinking about everything. Terri was right. I promised no more drugs, so I would stick to that. I wouldn't go home with any guys until I got the test results back. If I went home with anyone after that, I would always have a condom and insist on them using one. I would only go home with one guy at a time.

What the hell are you thinking Lex? Listen to yourself. You're not changing your ways. Your still a slut but instead of sleeping with two guys at once, you're only sleeping with one. So what does that make you? A half-slut? Get real here. Be honest with yourself. Find out why you do it. Is it the company? Do you not like to be alone? Is it just the drugs or is it something else?

I forced myself to do some serious soul searching that night. I would start the quest to find out why I was doing that crap. It wasn't me at all. I never did that kind of shit before. I knew I was lonely. But that behavior didn't help. That was like putting a damn bandaid on an amputation. It wasn't sexual gratification either because I couldn't remember any of it afterward. The only thing left was that I was royally fucked up. Hell, I already figured that one out. Okay, I'm back at ground zero. This was exactly why I hated thinking about this stuff. It solved absolutely nothing except gave me a throbbing migraine. I fell asleep, trying to figure all this stuff out.

********

I woke up and it was about nine thirty. I ambled into the kitchen and grabbed a drink. I was really hungry so I decided to throw on some jeans and head over to King Street to grab a bite to eat. I was sure I could get something tasty from the local diner and maybe I would scoot over to one of my favorite bars, The Golden Nugget, and grab a cold one afterward.

The streets were always crowded at night there with the College of Charleston right around the corner. Students were out and about, shopping and eating and then clubbing later. I slipped into my favorite booth and the waitress took a seat across from me and we caught up while she took my order.

"You going our tonight?"

"Yeah, but only for a couple of chilly ones. You?"

"I might after I get off work. You headed to the Nugget?"

"Yeah."

"I might see you over there later then."

"Good." My food arrived and I literally wolfed it down. I hadn't eaten since breakfast so I was super hungry. When I finished, I paid the bill and headed down the street. I passed a few friends along the way when I suddenly heard my name being called.

"Hey, Lexi!"

I turned around but didn't see anyone I recognized.

"Over here. Across the street."

I looked at the direction of the voice and it was a guy I had never seen before. He jogged over to me and said, "Why'd you run out the other morning? I thought we had a great time that night."

Oh shit! It was Beavis, or Barney or whatever the hell his name was.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't want to wake you up. I had to go. I had to work." I tried to look everywhere but at him. He was pleasant looking, friendly eyes, light brown hair but totally not my type.

He smiled, hugely, and said, "Well, you were certainly a hell cat. I'd love to do it again. Like real soon. The scratches on my back have finally healed."

Would the ground just open up right this minute and swallow me up because I'm about to throw up my sandwich all over this dude's feet if he doesn't shut up?

I laughed. Well, sort of. It actually sounded more like a ha-ha, with a choke added in. I said, "Okay. Cool. Well, I gotta go. I'm supposed to be meeting someone in a few minutes. Good seeing you."

I took off almost at a dead run. I thought my flip flops were going to blow I was moving so fast. I just kept going though, keeping my eyes on the sidewalk. The Charleston sidewalks were uneven and hazardous so I kept my eyes focused on it, not wanting to crash and burn when bam! I ran slap dab into the front of someone. I was moving at full steam ahead, staring at the pavement and not watching where I was going. It almost set me on my ass. I felt strong arms reach out to steady me then pull me into a warm, hard body.

"Whoa there buddy. I'm good. You can release."

I heard the sexiest laugh then. "Release?"

I looked up into Smoky Eyes himself. "Wow!" I said it without thinking. And then, "Shit!"

"I don't usually have that kind of effect on women. Shitty, I mean."

I sputtered then let loose a deep belly laugh. He started laughing too.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that. I was on an avoid run and wasn't watching where I was going. Please forgive my nasty mouth," I said.

"No, it's fine. I really liked the 'wow' part. It was supremely impressive."

"Not as impressive as you," I said under my breath.

"What's that?"

"I didn't say anything. But thanks for saving me from falling on my ass."

"Now you owe me."

"Huh?"

"You owe me. I waited for your call but it never came. So now you owe me and I'd like to collect in the form of a date."

"No!" I said it so fast and forceful, he looked at me intently. I backpedaled. "I didn't mean it that way it sounded. Forgive me and my terrible manners. What I should've said was I don't date. So that kind of repayment isn't possible."

"Why don't you date?"

I sighed and squeezed my eyes shut. "It's really a long story. I don't want to bore you."

"You could never bore me and I have all night long."

I looked at him and he stood there in all his gorgeousness expecting me to give him an answer, which of course would never happen.

"I'm sorry but I'd rather not discuss it."

"Well then, what do you propose? You owe me but you refuse to pay."

He had me there.

Shit! How do I get myself into these messes?

"How about this? I was on my way to have a drink at the Golden Nugget. Will you join me?"

"I'd like that very much."

Off we went, he the lovely gentleman and me, the half-slut, running from Beavis.
CHAPTER FOUR

We got to the entrance of the Golden Nugget and the place was packed.

"Can I talk you into a different spot. One where we can hear each other speak?" he asked.

Oh no! This is so not good. He is too perfect and me...I'm too fucked up and scared to even think about this. I could just fall into those eyes though and melt. Shit, I'm gonna regret this, I just know it.

"Okay." One word. Four letters. And my heart rate hit two hundred.

We headed around the corner to another place. He put my hand in the crook of his arm and made me walk on the inside of the sidewalk. We arrived at a much more intimate looking place called Mystic and he opened the door and ushered me inside. There was an empty booth in the back of the room so that's where we headed.

The waitress was there in seconds, ready to make us less thirsty.

"What would you like Alexia?" The rich timbre of his voice had me leaning toward him, wanting more.

I didn't think a beer would be appropriate, so I ordered a chardonnay.

"The house?" the waitress wanted to know.

I was getting ready to say that was fine when Pearce interrupted and said, "Bring her a glass of the Hanzell Chardonnay."

"Sir, we don't have that by the glass."

"Then bring a bottle. Make sure it's appropriately chilled to fifty degrees. And bring me a Laphroaig 18 neat please."

Shit! Hanzell Chardonnay and Laphroaig 18...I am so out of my element here.

"Right away sir."

"I didn't take you for a Scotch drinker," I said.

"No? Tell me why."

"You were so fussy about the food I just figured you'd like something less complex."

He laughed. "It was an act to get you to pay more attention to me," he confessed.

I looked at him and rolled my eyes. I think I'd figured that out already.

The waitress returned with our drink order. She uncorked the bottle of wine and poured a sample in the glass, waiting for Pearce to taste it. He looked at her in annoyance and said, "The lady should be tasting it. She's the one drinking it."

"Yes sir, pardon me." She kept ogling him and I couldn't blame her. He was oh so easy on the eyes.

I took a sip and the wine was heavenly. Rich and creamy with hints of pear, honeydew and cloves, it was perfectly delightful.

"Mmm. This is totally yummy."

"I thought you'd enjoy it. If you like chards that is."

"What? You're not a chard fan?"

"No, I like them. I was just saying that. So tell me more about the beautiful Alexia."

I stiffened. This was so not what I wanted to do. The last thing I wanted was to focus on me. What would I say? Oh, right, I'm a slut that likes to do drugs. I rubbed my hands on my legs, and then fisted them, feeling my nails biting into my palms.

"There's really not much to tell," I said stiffly.

"Okaaay. I get it. You don't want to talk about yourself. Are you a bank robber? Do you break into people's homes when they're on vacation and steal their valuables?"

I started to laugh. "Of course not. I'm a waitress and personal assistant to the lovely Lisbeth Rutledge, whom I adore."

"I know Lisbeth. She and my Grandmother are great friends. She's a real gem."

"That she is. I was lucky she found me."

"How'd she do that?"

"Well, truthfully, I answered a rental ad for her carriage house. Then when she told me the monthly fee, I had a heart attack. Afterward, she confessed she'd been on the hunt for a personal assistant that was reliable so we made a deal. I'd be at her beck and call in exchange for rent. It's been the best deal I've ever made. She's a wonderful friend to me and I don't know what I'd do without her."

He leaned back in his chair and nodded. He had a perfectly beautiful smile on his face and I couldn't help but smile back.

"What?" he asked.

"What what?" I tried to deflect his question.

"What's that look about?"

"Oh, I didn't realize I had a look." Now only one corner of his mouth turned up. I wanted to sit on his lap and run my fingers through his hair and kiss that corner of his mouth. Damn he was hot. Why couldn't I just be a normal girl who wasn't afraid of getting involved or ashamed of what she'd done in the past? Why couldn't I wake up in the morning and just be Lexi, without the guilt or baggage that I'd carried for the past three years?

"What?"

"What? Me?"

"Yeah you. You had a look on your face."

I felt my cheeks grow super hot, so I sent up a quick prayer of thanks for the darkness that surrounded us. Unless of course they were neon red, which was a possibility. I gave my head a firm shake and grinned.

"Please let me take you to dinner," his voice pleading.

My face crashed to the floor.

"What is it?" he asked, concern oozing out of every pore of him.

"Look, you really don't want to take me out. You need to go out with someone that...well, with someone that deserves you."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I'm a mess and you don't need to be dealing with someone like me right now. Please don't push this. I swear if you do, you'll only end up hating me."

He looked at me with a furrowed brow. "I don't understand but the fact that you won't even clue me in pretty much pisses me off."

"It's personal."

"The fact that I'm attracted to you and want to take you to dinner is pretty personal too."

I twisted my hands together in my lap. "Look, I've been through some tough times and right now I'm pretty fucked up. Plain and simple. I need to straighten my shit out before I get involved with anyone. And the last thing you need is to try to fix me."

"Who said I'd try to fix you? I want to take you to fucking dinner." He sounded insulted.

Our voices had risen so I backed off and said, "Can we finish our drinks and go somewhere private to discuss this?"

"To what end Alexia? You'll refuse so I think we finish our drinks and call it a day."

"You're right."

We sat there in silence sipping away. I felt like an ass but I knew it was the right thing to do. Miss Slut didn't need to get involved with a nice guy. Besides, I needed to get those test results back before I got involved with anyone, period.

The waitress came with our check and I offered to pay for the wine. He shook his head and said not to worry about it because I probably couldn't afford it anyway. I stiffened at his comment and stole a glance at the bill but decided instantly he was right. That stupid bottle of wine cost one hundred and sixty dollars. No damn wonder it tasted so good!

We headed out of the bar and I was regretting this moment. I wanted nothing more than to latch on to his neck and kiss his lips. I wanted to feel his arms tighten around me and hold me closely against him, like I meant something to him...not just a sleazy chick out for a night of fucking. I felt my throat tightening up so I bent my head down and stared at my bright pink toes.

"Thanks for the wine. It was really good."

"You're welcome Alexia. If you ever change your mind about dinner sometime, you have my number."

"Okay," I choked out. I shoved my hands in my pocket. I dared not look up because he would see the glistening tears in my eyes, which had now bullied their way past my lids onto my cheeks. Damn them.

I moved quickly down the sidewalk, past the shops I usually liked to look in.

Will I ever get past being scared of getting involved with anyone 'cause out of all the guys I've met since Peter, this one really has me rattled? He's way too good for me though so I know there's no use getting my hopes up. When he finds out about my past, he'll be running faster than Usain Bolt going for a gold medal. Shit, this whole thing scares the hell out of me too. It's totally hopeless.

I dashed all the way down King Street and hung a right on Queen. I kept going, not really seeing anything, not paying attention. I heard a scuffling when I was jerked from behind and an arm went around my neck, putting me in a chokehold. I felt my head begin to swim from lack of oxygen, when a harsh voice whispered in my ear.

"Do as I say and you won't get hurt."

The panic escalated then because at first I didn't realize what was going on. I started to struggle. I elbowed my assailant in the gut as hard as I could and then brought my foot down on his. Flip flops aren't real good for fighting, nor do they make great getaway shoes. I tried to run but he just stepped on the back of my flip flop, and it halted me for a second, which was long enough for him to smack me upside the head. My neck snapped back and he hit me again, but this time it was with his fist. It felt like the lights went out in Georgia, South Carolina and the rest of the Southeast.
CHAPTER FIVE

I woke up with my wrists and ankles bound with those plastic cable ties. Every time I tried to wriggle around, the ties gouged into my skin, causing me to wince in agony. Blood seeped around the edges of both, and they were so painful that I tried to hold myself as still as possible. Duct tape was not only covering my mouth, but the dude had wrapped it around my head too. The shit was even in my hair. My head felt like it had been used at a bowling ball for a weekend tourney. I was in a dark room...a closet perhaps. I couldn't really tell, but I knew it was tiny because I couldn't straighten out my legs.

Every muscle and bone in my body screamed. I tried to move my mouth but the tape prevented that. I leaned my head back against the wall and closed my eyes. The pain was bad but the fear was worse. I was scared. Heart pounding scared.

Hours later but what seemed like days, I heard the door scrape open and a man appeared in front of me. He was wearing a ski mask. He reached for my arms and pulled me to my feet. I was so stiff from sitting in that scrunched up position that I moaned when he moved me.

"You can save your moaning for later because there'll be lots of it where we're going."

I wanted to ask him questions, but I had that tape over my mouth so I couldn't talk. I tried but it was just a bunch of garbled stuff that came out.

He blindfolded me and threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. My body hurt so bad I wondered how long I could take the movement. I felt myself being carried for a distance and then I heard another door opening. He tossed me down and I landed on something soft, like a bed. I started to panic again because I knew where this was going. I felt him tearing at my clothes and the cool air hit my naked skin.

Then someone said, "Don't tear her clothes. We have to redress her you idiot."

There was more than one person here. I heard laughter as he slid my pants off and pulled off my shirt. Panic seized me as hands started groping me everywhere. I was bruised all over from the beating so it was torture whenever they touched me. I felt the tears pouring out of my eyes but I tried to bow off the bed and fight as best as I could. It only earned my some more punches. I prayed they would knock me out so I didn't have to go through this in a conscious state, but they must have known my intentions because the one that carried me here said, "Don't knock her out. I don't want to fuck a zombie."

That brought down the house. There was knee slapping and hoots, but there wasn't much talk. The room reeked of alcohol so I knew they were all drunk. That could work against me. If the alcohol prevented them from performing, they could take it out on me. I kept hearing one of them repeating, "Don't kill her. I don't want to go to jail."

Another one answered, "Shut up you idiot." Then I heard more scuffling.

Who were these guys and why were they doing this? I kept asking myself this. I had never done anything that I could think of that would warrant this kind of behavior from someone. I wasn't cruel or mean spirited in any way. Here I was being raped by God only knew how many men. Maybe this was God's way of punishing me for my sordid behavior. Maybe this was my payback. Whatever it was, I wanted it to be over. I fought and squirmed and wriggled around. I knew they would have to cut those ties that bound my ankles to get my pants off and spread my legs. Cooperating with them was not going to be a part of my plan. They'd have to kill me to get what they wanted. Being a slut was one thing. Getting raped was another. I wouldn't let them have this part of me without the fight of my life.

When that cable tie snapped, so did my mind. My legs went batshit crazy and my adrenaline spiked at the same time. I kicked everything and anything within reach. Everyone started yelling and screaming. They tried to get a hold of my ankles, but they were drunk and uncoordinated and for once, I had sobriety on my side. If only I could get up, I could make a break for it. My hands were useless and I was outnumbered, but I wasn't giving up.

I heard a bunch of scrambling and the door opened again. Then someone knocked me in the head and everything started to swim. I heard another loud voice boom, "What the fuck's going on in here?"

I was so out of it, I couldn't really process what was happening. I must've I passed out for a while because the next thing I knew I was being jostled around in the back of a van. We must have been driving on a road full of potholes. The first thing that came to mind was I thought they were going to kill me and dump my body. I started to struggle again...or at least I tried. There wasn't any part of my body that didn't hurt excruciatingly by now and I was so weak, that my attempts were feeble at best. Someone cuffed me on the head and everything went black again.

********

Voices. I heard voices. They were in the distance. At least that's what I thought at first.

"Miss, can you hear me? Miss?"

"Call 911. Hurry up. She's hurt really bad."

I wanted to answer him, but my mouth wouldn't work. My brain understood what he was saying, but there was some kind of disconnect going on. I also wanted to tell him I hurt. So bad. Everywhere. I think I passed out again.

The next time I woke up I saw red flashing lights everywhere. There were paramedics surrounding me and they were hooking me up to all kinds of things. They finally cut the duct tape off my mouth and I started screaming.

"Miss, it's okay. We're going to take you to the hospital now."

They fastened some kind of neck brace around me and then placed me on a board. I was transferred onto one of the ambulance beds, and they slid me in the vehicle and off we went with the sirens blaring.

Since it was dark out I begged them to keep the lights on inside. There was one female paramedic and she held my hand and assured me they wouldn't turn off the lights. I couldn't bear to think of being in a small dark space. We arrived at the Emergency Department of the Medical University and things moved with lightning speed. I had a small skull fracture but no brain swelling they said. They explained that I had a lot of other injuries, including a broken wrist and ankle, four fractured ribs and two stab wounds in the gut and a ruptured spleen that would require surgical repair. They were preparing the O.R. and I was waiting to be wheeled in when Pearce showed up by my bedside in his scrubs.

"How are you feeling? I know it's a lame question." His voice was so soft, I was comforted by it.

"I'm not sure," I answered in a low, shaking voice. "I hurt. All over. Bad."

"I know. They gave you something and you should feel it soon. Alexia, I'm on call but I turned your case over to another trauma surgeon. Under the circumstances, I thought it best if I didn't do your surgery. I'm scrubbing in though, if that's okay with you."

"I don't even know what that means," I answered. My mind was so befuddled by everything I barely knew my own name. My head felt like someone was driving a spike through the side of it that I couldn't think straight.

He smiled and I wanted to smile back but I couldn't because I was in so much pain and I was shaking so badly. "It means I'll be in the operating room but I won't be doing the procedure. If you don't want me in there, just say the word. My feelings won't be hurt Alexia."

"No, it's okay," I mumbled. My teeth were chattering.

He pulled my blanket up and tucked it around me. "You're in shock and that's making you feel cold. I've looked at all your tests and you're going to be good Alexia. You hear me? You're going to be fine. They're going to fix you up."

"Yeah. Guess so. Add this to my list of being fucked up and I'll be okay...just fine." I tried to wipe the tears off my cheeks but I had so many damn tubes and wires hooked up to me that my hands couldn't get there. And my arms fucking screamed with pain. He took care of it for me as he took the corner of my blanket and gently dabbed my face with it.

"I'll be in there with you. I'll be holding your hand. The one that's not injured." He smiled then.

I don't know if it was the morphine or the shock but me and my big sappy mouth blurted out, "Your smile."

"Yeah? What about it?" he wanted to know.

"Amazing...never seen anything like it in my life. Do me a favor?"

He laughed and said, "Sure, what is it?"

"Smile for me right before they turn my lights off, will you?"

"Um yeah, but Alexia, I'll be wearing a mask so you won't see it."

"Oh. Didn't think of that." I tried to laugh it off, but I ended up making a weird sound instead.

Right then the team of nurses entered the bay and said, "Are you ready Ms. Hammond?"

"Do I even have a choice?"

Pearce added, "No Alexia you don't. I promise I'll be holding your hand."

"Swear?" I blurted out.

"I swear." And then he kissed me, a sweet gentle kiss on my forehead.

"Thanks Doc," I whispered as they wheeled me out.

PEARCE

When I got the call, I went to the hospital, never expecting it to be her. And to see her like that. Bloody, beaten and stabbed! I almost tore the place up. Alexia! How? Why?

My emotions ran wild. I immediately pulled myself off her case and called in one of my partners. Then I went into the locker room and punched and kicked in a wall. I'd be hearing from the administration over that one, but I could give a shit. My girl out there was hurting.

Wait, what was this 'my girl' shit? She wouldn't give me the time of day. I couldn't even get her to go to goddamn dinner with me. Fuck. And now here she was at the trauma center, injured and me not knowing what the hell had happened to her. EMS brought her in after getting a call and that's all I knew. I was headed to scrub in, but stopped to see her on my way to the O.R. God, even as bruised and battered as she was, she was still perfect in my eyes. There was something about her that I couldn't get out of my mind. They way she walked, talked, moved, everything. I just wish she'd give me a fucking chance and I'd show her the world.

She was scared of something though. I don't know what, but I was not going to give up on her. I was going to try to break through her walls and find out because I had to...I just had to get to know her. There was something between us that I needed to explore, whether she wanted it or not. I was not going to give up.
CHAPTER SIX

I woke up in the recovery room and couldn't remember much of anything. Minutes later, Pearce was there.

"You okay?"

"I dunno," I slurred. "Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital and you just came out of surgery. You did great honey. We're going to keep you here a bit longer and then send you up to a room. Alexia, do you remember anything that happened?"

"No.Yeah." I closed my eyes and drifted off.

I heard voices off and on and Pearce woke me up again.

"Hey Alexia, you need to wake up now. We need to keep you awake for a while before we send you up to your room. Standard procedures."

"But I'm so sleepy."

"I know. It's the anesthesia. It'll wear off in a bit. How's your pain?"

"S'okay."

"Good. Talk to me sweetheart."

"You called me sweetheart," I murmured.

"I did, didn't I?"

"Uh huh."

"Is there anything you want to tell me?"

"Yeah. You're really pretty. No. Not pretty. You're hot. Yeah, hot. Damn hot."

I think I heard him chuckle.

"Anything else? Like about what happened?"

"No! I don't want to talk about that. I was really scared. Thought I was gonna die."

"Do you know who did this to you?"

"No! Why would someone do that to me? I'm not a mean person. I know I'm fucked up and everything. Ever since Peter died. I'm such a mess. But I'm not mean to anyone. Why would they be so mean to me? I'm scared." I started crying.

"Hey, you're safe here now. You can't think of anything?"

"No. Maybe God was just punishing me for being so bad," I sniffed and tried to wipe my face.

He was there with a soft cloth, doing it for me. "Don't say that Alexia. God isn't like that."

"He isn't?"

"No."

"I don't know. I've done bad things. First Peter and now myself. Maybe I deserved this. Can I sleep now?"

"Not yet."

"Will you tell them not to turn off my light. I'm afraid of the dark. And tell them to leave the door open, okay?"

"Okay." He held my hand.

I wanted to sleep but he wouldn't let me. I begged and pleaded with him. Finally, they came to take me up to my room. I reminded Pearce to tell them about the lights and the door. I was so scared to be trapped inside of a small space.

********

I don't remember the ride up to my room but I woke up later in the day, hurting like all get out.

I tried to sit up but I couldn't because of the pain. I wanted to call Terri or Lisbeth. I knew they'd be worried about me. I didn't even know what day it was. I needed to call Camellia's too. I looked for the button on the bed to call the nurse. I finally found it and punched it.

A nurse came in and I asked her if she could help me out of bed because I needed to go to the bathroom.

"Sweetie, you don't need to worry about that. You have a catheter."

"Huh?"

"You have a catheter. You just go whenever you want. You don't have to get up."

I picked up the sheets and saw that tube thing shooting out of me.

"Eww! Gross."

"Well, sweetie, it does the job. Now, are you hurting at all."

"Yeah. Everywhere," I groaned.

"Well, let me get you something for pain."

She left before I had a chance to ask her about my purse.

She was back in a jiffy and stuck something in my IV line. Then I asked her about my purse. She said she'd check on it. I told her I needed to make some phone calls and she showed me the phone. Duh, it was right there, next to the bed. She also told me that I was supposed to call Pearce the minute I woke up.

"He's been checking on you every hour. Never seen anything like it, sweetie. I've known that man for a couple of years now and he's never shown an interest in anything that throws herself at him. But with you, it's another story. So do me a big favor and call him right away. If you don't, I'll get a good butt chewing from him. Here's his number."

"Yes ma'am, I will. And thank you for taking such good care of me."

"Just doing my job sweetie."

********

What would I say to him? I wanted to hear his voice and he'd been so honest to goodness sweet to me. God, no one had been that great to me other than Terri. But he scared me so much. I wanted to wrap myself around him and never let him go, but I knew he deserved so much more than some nasty old skank like me. Shit! Why couldn't I be someone else, just for a day? Someone that was normal...just for once?

I quickly dialed Pearce's number before I lost my nerve. He picked up on the first ring.

"Middleton."

"Hi. It's Lexi," I murmured, as my heart thundered in my ears.

"Lexi?"

"Yeah, Alexia."

"Alexia! How're you feeling? I've been calling in to check on you."

"That's what the nurse told me. I'm okay. Really sore and all. I'll be fine I suppose."

"Of course you will."

"Thank you for being with me throughout it all yesterday. I really appreciate it."

"You're very welcome Alexia. I never would have wanted you to go through that alone. Are you up for some company over lunch?"

"If you can stand the sight of me."

"See you around noon then."

I hung up and called Lisbeth. She assured me everything was fine with her and that Pearce had kept her informed every step of the way. She was worried to death about me and wanted to come to the hospital to see me. I told her that it was out of the question. I didn't want her to see me like this. She could see me when I came home. Besides, I knew there wasn't a damn thing she could do except for worry about me. I promised I'd call her every day with updates on my condition.

I finally dialed Terri's number and she lit into me like fire. I never got such a cussing from anyone in my life. She worked me up one side and down the other and then broke down and cried, told me she would kill me if I ever let anything like this happen to me again and then said she was on her way to the hospital. Before I could even get a word in, she'd hung up the phone. Twenty minutes later she was busting through my door and crawling all over my bed.

"What the hell Terri, you're killing me here. I just had surgery. You need to take it easy on me here."

"Huh uh. I just found out where the hell you'd disappeared to, found out you'd been abducted for Christ's sake, held hostage or whatever, then dumped on the side of the road and left there for God knows how long with stab wounds and a skull fracture and you tell me to take it easy on you? Are you crazy? You're my bestie and you could've died for Christ's sake Lex. What do you expect from me?"

"Well, when you put it that way, I can see why you're acting this way. But damn, be careful. I have staples and things. Plus this disgusting thing called a catheter. Not to mention all these other tubes and wires and shit. And I hurt like hell."

"Okay. Okay. I'm sorry! Do you even remember anything?"

"Yeah, but can we not talk about it? It scares the ever loving crap outta me. Seriously."

"Shit Lexi."

I shuddered. "Let me just tell you this. I went to King Street to grab a bite to eat. I was on my way to the Golden Nugget when I heard my name. I looked across the street and of all people, it was Beavis from that Friday night a while back."

"Who?"

"Beavis or Butthead. One of the two. You know," I groaned.

"Oh yeah."

"He started chatting it up with me so I made some lame excuse to get away from him and got the hell out of there. I was walking so fast, running really, and not paying attention to where I was going that I ran smack dab into Smoky Eyes."

"Who the fuck is Smoky Eyes?"

"The hot dude from the restaurant. You know the night I had the big table in the private room?"

"Nope. Not following."

"Dern. I must've forgotten to tell you about him. Anyway, he was smoking hot with these amazing gray eyes. He left me a two hundred dollar tip with his card and a note asking me to call him."

"Did you?"

"No! I wanted to get my act straightened out first. Anyway, I barreled right into his amazing chest in my haste to get away from Beavis. I mean literally. I nearly fell on my ass. He stops me from falling and I look right up into his face."

"Yikes!"

"Exactly!" I told her the rest of the story and ended up with him at my bedside in the ER.

"Geez Lexi. I think he really likes you."

"Terr, the feeling is mutual, but I'm so fucked up, he doesn't need me around him. Add this whole incident to the mix and now you don't have just fucked up Lexi, now I'm Train-Wreck-Fucked-Up-Lexi."

"Quit being so hard on yourself. Besides, he's a grown man. Let him decided for himself if you're too fucked up for his tastes."

"Huh uh. Then he'll end up hating me. And I'll hate myself even more than I already do, if that's even possible. Besides, he scares the hell out of me. There's something about him Terr that sets me on fire. I mean, I could see myself doing things with him that...well, I'm afraid I'll just fuck things up like I did with Peter. You know, while I was being held by those guys, I wondered if this was God's way of punishing me for my disgusting behavior."

"Would you stop already?"

"No, I'm being serious here. The thing is, I've decided...I mean really decided that I'm done with that lifestyle. No more clubs, bars, whatever. I'm cleaning my act up. I'll keep on working for Lisbeth, but I may look for a normal kind of job too. I don't know what. I'll keep on working at Camellia's if he hasn't already replaced me. But I'm done with it all. When I get well enough, I'm trashing all my ho clothing and turning over a new leaf. I'm scared to death those dudes will come back for me. I don't know what they wanted with me, but they knew who I was. It's freaking me out Terri. I think they would've killed me. I could've died." I ran my hands through my hair and then clasped them together to try to get them to stop shaking.

"Shit, Lex! I'm so glad you've made that decision. I think you need to get a gun and take some self defense classes or something. After you're cleared by your doctor, we'll sign up for that."

"I think you may be right."

We talked for a bit longer but then I told her I was really hurting and getting sleepy so she left. She said she'd be back that night.

I lay on my bed and curled up in a ball, hugging my knees as close to my chest as my wounds would allow. I wished I could flash myself to someplace magical, where none of this existed. Where my mom and dad gave a shit about me and would be here with me to comfort me, where I had a room to go home to with someone to help me so I didn't have to be alone and scared. Where I could have the confidence in myself to not be afraid to get involved with Pearce. Where I didn't have to worry about being by myself. I wish I could go back in time and undo all the awful things I did...especially sleeping with all those men. I lay there in a tight ball and fell eventually fell asleep.

********

I woke up to the smell of homemade chicken soup and the crunching of a paper bag. I opened my eyes and there stood Pearce, grinning at me.

"You don't look much better today," he observed. He disappeared for a moment and came back to my bed with a warm cloth and gently wiped my face. I must've looked a mess. "Your bruising has really popped out. Have you been using the ice packs?"

"No, I didn't know I was supposed to."

He left for a moment and came back with some cold gel packs for me to use.

"Thank you. The soup smells amazing."

"It's the best in all of Charleston. Omie's Deli."

"I've always heard it was great but I've never been there."

"Now's your chance."

I carefully squiggled up in the bed and pushed the button to raise the head. My head itched like crazy so I went to scratch it, but winced as I did.

"Do you need something for the pain?"

"No, I hurt everywhere though. Aches and bruises."

"You're banged up pretty badly Alexia. You're going to be sore for quite awhile."

I leaned over the soup to get a spoonful and it was the best ever. "Oh yum. This is great!"

"Told ya," he said with a wink. "I think I lived on this stuff during med school."

"So you went here then?"

"Alexia, my last name is Middleton. I didn't have much of a choice."

"Oh," was all I could say. I guess the Middleton's must have something to do with the medical school here.

He must have read my mind because he said, "The Middleton's are the biggest benefactors to the medical school here."

"Oh," I said again. "Did you train here?"

"No, I did my surgery residency at Duke. Then I did my trauma surgery and critical care fellowship at Grady in Atlanta. I did a follow up year at Cook in Chicago. I wanted to go to a large city to get hands on experience with gunshot wounds and thoracic and abdominal trauma."

"Oh," I said again. I was beginning to sound like a moron. If I didn't come up with something more than 'oh' he would think I was brainless. "That's a little above my head," I admitted.

"It's okay. It's above most people's heads. What I wanted to do was to get a lot of hands on experience working on victims of gunshot wounds to the chest, neck and abdominal area. They tend to be really...um, messy. I figured I would get that in a large city which is why I chose Atlanta and Chicago."

"That makes sense when you put it that way."

"There's also a lot of expressway trauma...car accidents and the like."

"I see. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Doesn't that stuff gross you out?" I scrunched up my face because just the thought of it all disgusted me.

He threw back his head and belted out a hearty laugh.

"No. It's a good thing too. Can you imagine your doctor coming in and going, 'Eww! That's gross!'"

I tried to laugh, but it hurt too bad. "Yeah, that would be kinda bad."

"You get used to it. At first it's kind of weird looking at all the tissue and stuff, but then you get past it pretty fast."

"Okay, I get it," I grimaced. I was starting get queasy just listening to him.

"Sorry, I forget that people don't like to hear that kind of thing. Can I check your belly?"

"What!" What the fuck!

He dropped his head and rubbed the back of his neck. "Shit Alexia, I'm sorry. That wasn't very professional. What I meant was would you mind if I took a look at your wounds to see how they're progressing? That really came out badly, didn't it?"

I giggled. Then I tried to laugh. Then he laughed too. I had to grab my stomach because laughing made me hurt.

"I thought you wanted to blow a raspberry on it or something."

We laughed again.

"Well, if you want me to I can."

This conversation had gotten extremely comfortable. I was surprised too. I didn't want to dwell on it.

"Um Pearce, I don't have on any underwear."

"Oh, right. Let me get Sharon in here a minute."

"Sharon?"

"Your nurse."

He left and returned minutes later with my nurse and she had a sheet in her hand. She shooed him out of the room for a second and she tugged my gown up and draped the sheet over my bare lower half. Then she called him in.

He pranced in and pulled on some latex gloves. Sharon brought in some wound supplies and placed them on the bed. He removed the bandages over the two places where I'd been stabbed and the incision where they repaired my spleen and looked at them.

"Everything is looking good here. Nice and neat. Healing well. No sign of infection." He replaced the bandages with new ones and pulled my gown down for me. Then he covered me back up and Sharon left.

"Did you see me naked?" I blurted out.

"Excuse me?"

"You know, when they were operating on me."

"Alexia, we don't have patients lying on the table naked. They are covered in gowns and surgical drapes. The only area exposed is the part where the surgery will take place. So no, sweetheart, I didn't see you naked."

"Oh, okay then." My cheeks burned hot but for some reason, I felt better about this whole thing. Strangely enough, countless men had seen me naked, but for some reason, I didn't want him to unless I was conscious and willing.

Then the conversation shifted and so did the tone of his voice. "Alexia, the police want to speak to you this afternoon."

I started to tremble. "I figured they would. I don't know what I can tell them though."

"Do you want me to be here?"

I started to cry. He moved to put his arms around me but for some reason I stiffened up like a board. I was so conflicted over everything. I wanted this man...badly. But I didn't want him involved in my life...not the way I was now. I pushed him away.

"So we're back to that then are we?"

"I...you..." I sniffed and snorted.

"Look, the police are sending two detectives here at two. I'll be here. I can wait outside and if you need me you can just call my name. Okay?"

I nodded.

"I have to go. Got some patients to see and all." He headed out the door.

"Pearce!"

He stopped and turned around.

"Thank you. So much. For everything. For holding my hand. For being there."

"I can still be there if you'd just stop pushing me away."

"I know." The tears poured down my cheeks and I didn't even bother to wipe them away.
CHAPTER SEVEN

The police arrived at two on the nose and so did Pearce. Just like he promised, he stayed outside my room while they asked me questions I had no answers for. They kept asking me the same things over and over. I kept telling them the same things over and over. I couldn't see who attacked me. I was hit from behind and knocked out. When I woke up it was dark. The one attacker had on a ski mask and then I was blindfolded. I never once saw my assailants. I woke up again on that bed and again in a van. And, finally on the side of the road where the couple found me and called 911. Apparently it was out on Johns Island, which was about ten miles away from the MUSC Trauma Center.

No, I didn't recognize them because I never saw any of them. No, I didn't have any enemies that I was aware of. No, I didn't recognize any voices. No, I hadn't been threatened recently. I didn't have any idea who would hurt me.

They told me they had done a rape analysis on me and had gathered fingernail scrapings and other evidence off of me while I was in and out of it. I didn't remember any of that. Then they started questioning my love life. A spurned lover perhaps. I told them I hadn't dated anyone since Peter died. I'd only lived in Charleston for three years. I'd moved here from Lynchburg, Virginia. My head was pounding and my body was throbbing everywhere.

When I couldn't take it anymore, I burst out screaming at them, "I didn't do anything wrong. You're treating me like a criminal. I'm the victim here." Then I was sobbing and Pearce was in the room ordering them to leave.

I was so distraught by the whole ordeal, I couldn't calm down. Pearce ended up having to order an anti-anxiety drug for me. He left to go back to work and I curled back up into a ball on the bed.

Terri popped back in thinking she would find me in the same condition as she left me. Well, that wasn't the case. She wanted to march over to the police station and kick some ass. She was super pissed.

"I can't believe they did that to you. The next time those asshats come in here, I'm gonna be here with you."

"Maybe I should get a lawyer or something," I said dejectedly. "They're making me feel like I did something to deserve this when all I did was walk home. I really don't understand any of this. I'm gonna talk with Lisbeth. I'm sure she knows someone who can get them to change their tactics with me."

"Yeah, you're right. If anyone can help, it's Lisbeth."

********

Five days later I was released from the hospital. I went home to my little carriage house and locked myself inside. I didn't want to come out ever again. Well, not really. I just wanted to feel normal again, but I feared that wouldn't happen. I kept every light on in the place at night and I hardly slept for the first week. I would get startled by the tiniest of noises. I was jumpy and agitated so, finally, Terri came and spent a few nights with me, just so I could get some rest. My clothes began to hang on me because I couldn't eat anything substantial. Terri and Lisbeth fussed at me constantly and I tried, I really did, but I couldn't get the idea out of my mind that someone had wanted to kill me.

Pearce called every day to check on me, and I went to see his partner for my follow up appointments. My ankle and wrist healed rather quickly and after about eight weeks I was able to quit wearing that monster black boot.

The police said they couldn't find any leads. The rape analysis came back negative as did the fingernail scrapings. The only thing they found were tire marks near where I was dumped and so far they couldn't come up with anything else. I was living in a nightmare. Every night I had them and every day the abduction was on my mind.

I'd lost my job at Camellia's, though I couldn't blame the owner. He couldn't afford to hold my job because it would be quite a while before I would be able to go back to work. He promised that as soon as he had an opening again, it would be mine. My checkbook was pretty much down to nothing. I was flat broke and scared of my own shadow. My hospital bills were crazy. I couldn't even look at them because they made my stomach chrun.

Thank God for Lisbeth. I still did lots of things for her and she was paying me weekly, as well as covering my rent. I had to pick some things up for her from her decorator and was dropping them off at her house one afternoon when I walked in and accidentally overheard a conversation she was having.

"Well you need to do something about it. I think they'd make a marvelous couple."

"Lisbeth, what would you like for me to do? Ground the boy? Pearce is an adult and will do as he wants. Besides, as I understand it, it's not for lack of trying on his end."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What it means is that he's called Alexia time and time again and she still refuses him. I can't understand it either. Why, he's the most eligible bachelor in all of South Carolina!"

"Well, then perhaps it's time for us to play matchmaker."

"Oh dear, what do you have up your sleeve?"

"I don't know, but I'll figure something out."

I hurried out of the house, not wanting to be discovered. I came back in then and made all sorts of noises so they'd know I was there. I called to Lisbeth from the hallway, told her I'd left her things but had to leave in a hurry. I dashed out of there before they could trap me into something I didn't want to have any part of.

Matchmaking! Shit, just what I didn't need. Then what would I do? How would I explain to Lisbeth, when Pearce took off like a bat out of hell, why he didn't want to hang around the slut who was responsible for the death of her last boyfriend, and then went around and slept with every guy she could get her hands on? Oh yeah, I'm the perfect date for the most eligible bachelor in South Carolina. Shitfuckdamnhell!

I still had issues with my attack. My social life became nonexistent, except for seeing Terri. Nighttime was the worst. I was the antithesis of a vampire. When dusk hit, I scurried for home. I would start to freak if I was somewhere and didn't think I'd be home until after dark. If I wasn't constantly surrounded by light, I would start to resemble a bobblehead doll, my head bouncing around in paranoia, looking for my would be attacker. Those giant spotlight kind of flashlights became my constant companions, as I always carried one or two in my car, just in case I got tied up and didn't get home until after dark.

I started job hunting but was having trouble finding anything. None of the restaurants had any openings and I had applications in everywhere. I worried about getting hired somewhere that would require me to work late at night because I didn't know what I'd do about getting home after dark. My stomach would gurgle and send me hightailing it for the bathroom just thinking about it.

One day, I finally got a call from a software company and they wanted me to work full time in their marketing department. I was torn because that would mean I couldn't work for Lisbeth anymore. The pay was decent, but I'd also have to give up my free rent.

She needed to know what was going on so I went to her the next day and laid everything out. She was so excited about the possibilities for me. Lisbeth always wanted me to do more as far as a career was concerned so she knew this was the perfect opportunity for me.

"But what about our arrangement?"

"You can do some things for me on the weekend and I'll only charge you half rent. How about that?"

"Are you sure?"

"What? Do you think I'm so old I don't know what I'm talking about anymore. Of course I'm sure."

"Well, in that case, it's a deal. And if you need anything during the week, just call my cell phone and I can do it on my way home from work."

"Alexia, I've been meaning to ask you. How are you doing these days?"

I wanna run and hide in my house and never come out because when I do, I feel like I'm getting ready to plunge off the edge of a cliff.

"I'm fine," I answered with a plastic smile.

"The truth dear. I'm an old woman. I see things. I want to know."

I looked at her and I felt myself unraveling. The only person I'd let in was Terri. I didn't want to dump this on Lisbeth because she was elderly and didn't need this kind of shit in her life now.

So I smiled and said, "I'm better, really I am."

"Honey, you are the worst liar I've ever known. I know you are miserable. I can see the pain of it in your eyes, not to mention you look like a scarecrow. Why won't you talk to me?"

"I don't want to burden you with my silly issues."

"Alexia, your issues are anything but silly. You nearly died. I think it would help you if you talked about it. And I hope you know I care about you."

We were sitting in her favorite room and I was seated next to her on the sofa. I had my hands clasped on my lap and I looked down and them because I didn't want her to see the tears in my eyes. Her arm reached across and she placed her hand on top of mine and patted them.

"Alexia honey, I don't know what happened between you and your parents, but they should be strung up in town square. Does Lynchburg even have a town square? Oh hell, it doesn't matter. Listen to me sweetie, I care about you and I want you to get some help. You need to talk to someone about what happened to you. If you won't talk to me, I'd like for you to talk to a professional counselor."

"Lisbeth, I know you mean well, and I thank you for it. But I can't afford it."

"Honey, if you'd keep quiet and let me finish, I was going to say, that I'd be willing to pay for it. I want you to come back out of your shell. I know there's a young woman inside of you that's intelligent, strong and capable of taking on this world. And I for one would love to see her emerge. Will you please at least think about it? And before you give me your answer, I want you to take this job and show that company everything you've got. I believe you could run that company one day if someone would give you half a chance."

God, I loved that woman!

********

It was late October when I started my job and I ended up taking to it like a fish to water. My manager and I got along really well and he kept pushing me to do more. I gladly took on the extra responsibility and seemed to thrive on it.

Lisbeth called me one night and asked if I could take her to a party on the following Saturday. It was the end of November, and she said it was one of those tea party things, the kind that she really hated. She didn't want to stay long, so she asked me to drive her and wait in the car.

I sat in Lisbeth's Cadillac, in front of one of Charleston's finest homes on the battery, and was reading my Kindle when I heard a tap at my window. I looked up and my heart immediately started doing laps around the Charlotte Motor Speedway. At that rate, it could've edged out #88 and really pissed off Junior.

Why the hell did he have to look so damn good? Shitfuckdamnhell!

I rolled down the window.

"Hey," I said. Why did my voice have to sound so damn breathy?

"Hey yourself. Are you here with Lisbeth?"

"Yeah. You?"

"My grandmother asked me to bring her. Although I can't figure out why when we only...oh no. I think I smell a rat." He lifted his head up and sighed.

"What?"

"Gran and Lisbeth. Scheming."

My face started to burn. Really burn. Then the rest of me followed.

Double shitfuckdamnhell!

"Look, do you mind if I get in?"

"Er, no."

Oh God help me. I need strength around this man.

He jogged around to the other side of the car and got in. Then he grinned. And I melted.

"I think they've been scheming to get us together."

I dropped my head down and blew out a breath. "I'm sorry I never called you Pearce. You were the best...really...I should have thanked you with dinner or something. That was very unmannerly of me. Please forgive me."

"You're forgiven on one condition. Go to dinner with me."

Triple shitfuckdamnhell!

"Well, I suppose it would be impossible to refuse you now," I admitted. It would have been worse than rude at this point.

"So when?"

"Next weekend?"

"That works for me. So how are you?" His gaze penetrated mine and I shivered.

I half-smiled and said, "I've been better."

"I'm sorry Alexia."

********

The following weekend, he picked me up, on foot, and we went to dinner.

"I hope you don't mind the walk."

"No, I love to walk."

I was so nervous that I rubbed my hands against each other and then on my legs. I finally clamped my hands together so I'd quit altogether. He noticed my fidgeting and stopped walking.

Turning to me he said, "Do I make you nervous?"

"No. Yes. No, I make me nervous."

Oh, hell. Why can't I just be normal like other girls?

He grabbed my icy hands in his and said, "You're cold."

"No, I'm fine." I tried to pull my hands from his, but he wouldn't let me.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Try to pretend things? I can tell you like me...or at least you want to. But you're trying to pretend you don't."

Oh no.

"Look, Pearce, I..."

"Alexia, let's just go have a nice dinner. And let me hold your hands and warm them, okay? I promise I won't hurt you."

But that's not what I'm afraid of...I'm afraid of hurting you.

I shook my head and said, "Okay."

We went to Rick's, a restaurant that specialized in seafood, and had a great time. He was very engaging and I laughed at almost everything he said. I don't remember any of it, but I was so happy that night. So fucking happy. No ghosts poked into my head to ruin anything. No memories of nights with men I didn't know. It was just Pearce and Lexi. And it scared the crap out of me.

He walked me home and on the way he told me something that almost made me cry.

"I regret the hell out of letting you go that night Alexia. If I had stayed with you, insisted on walking you home, you would've been safe."

"Don't say that. You couldn't have known. Besides, this is the first time I've been out after dark and don't feel scared to death. Don't ruin it."

He kissed me on my cheek and waited until I got inside to leave.

Why oh why? He is a dream come true but I don't trust myself enough with him yet.

As I knew he would, Pearce called me the next day and the next and every day after that. Some days I answered and we'd talk for a long time and others I would let it go to my voicemail. Then he'd text me.

P: You can run but you can't hide, lol!

I'd call him back. We'd meet for a drink but I was really scared. I knew I had to tell him something. He deserved an explanation of why I was behaving like this. I couldn't disguise my feelings for him. It was damn near impossible.

When the holidays rolled around, our whole department went to Camellia's for our Christmas party. There were only twenty-two people in our group, so they put us in the big room in the back. It was odd going there as a guest. I scooted into the kitchen to say hi to everyone and got hugs from the chef/owner. We chatted for a bit and I headed back to the table.

On my way back, I happened to glance across the room and I saw Pearce seated at a table for two. He was talking intimately with a perfectly beautiful blonde. My heart plunged and my stomach twisted. I don't know why, as I hadn't exactly been there when he wanted me to be. He probably figured he'd tried enough so he'd given up and I really couldn't blame him, but damn, it killed me seeing him like that. I watched him smile and he lifted his hand and grabbed his date's hand and placed a kiss on the back of it.

I don't know how long I stood and stared, but I found I couldn't make myself move. My feet felt like cinder blocks. Suddenly he lifted his head and his eyes landed directly on mine. My eyes widened for a moment, my face heated up, but I quickly bent my head down and forced myself to move my feet.

I turned toward the restrooms, intending to hide there for a few moments, but I never made it.

"Alexia, wait."

I swallowed that thick lump in my throat, doing my best to force it down. I put on my happiest smile and turned.

"Hi Pearce. It's really great to see you." My voice shook and I prayed that he didn't notice.

No such luck. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm good, thanks. And you?"

"I'm fine too."

"I'm here for my work Christmas party."

"Is that so?"

"Uh huh. We're in that big room in the back."

"Oh great."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Sounds like fun," he said.

"No, it doesn't. You're just being polite." I laughed.

"Oh, you're so wrong Alexia. Everything about you interests me. Except you still won't let me in."

My face flushed with heat again and I bent my head to look at my feet. I had on sandals that were outdated. I couldn't afford new shoes so I had to wear those old ones. My pants mostly covered them so I hoped he didn't notice. They weren't exactly the highest element of fashion either. I really hadn't bought any clothes in several years, other than a few items I'd scored from consignment shops, so those were dated as well. Not to mention I still hadn't gained back all the weight I lost so I'm sure I looked haggard as hell.

"You look great Alexia." He was always so fucking polite.

"Thanks Pearce. So do you. I guess I should be going. My group is going to wonder what happened to me."

"Stay safe please." He reached out his hand and touched my cheek. "Please call me. Please Alexia."

I just smiled, turned and walked away.

********

PEARCE

I couldn't believe it when I saw her across the room. I think my mouth dropped open and my jaw hit the table. I'm not really sure though because I shot out of my seat like my ass was on fire. I had to talk with her...a word or two, nothing more.

She looked great. Hell, she always looked great. Who was I kidding? She looked great to me the night she came in with stab wounds. Okay, a bit of an exaggeration, but that woman would look great in anything.

I could tell I made her uncomfortable but for the life of me I didn't know what the hell I could do differently to change that. She was like a frightened rabbit around me and I couldn't quite figure out why. I hadn't done anything to make her that way...nothing that I could think of anyway.

We talked for a few minutes and she scampered off, just like a scared little bunny. I was going to have to figure out how to get that bunny to like me and to feel that she could trust me. I was a patient man and what she didn't about me was I was relentless. I liked her...a lot. I wanted to get to know her...a lot. And when I set my mind to do something, I usually did it.
CHAPTER EIGHT

Christmas came and I never even put up a tree. No surprise there. I hadn't put one up since Peter died. Christmas didn't mean anything to me anymore. Why should it? No family, no one to share it with. I'd woken up early and volunteered at a local soup kitchen since I didn't have anything going on at my home. I thought I'd put myself to good use.

Later on, Terri stopped by on the way to her parents' house. She'd invited me over but I declined. I'd always felt that Christmas was family time and I wasn't her family. She disagreed with that but I didn't change my mind. We exchanged presents. I bought her a really cool leather cuff that I'd saved up for. She took one look at it and I knew it had been the perfect choice. Her eyes lit up like the Christmas tree I didn't have. She bought me a new purse that I'd been dying to get. We hugged each other and I thought of how she was my only family. I felt my eyes tear up. My parents didn't send gifts to me. They still blamed me for Peter's death. Who could blame them...I still blamed me. Hell, it was my fault. They didn't call or anything anymore. I never even told them about my attack. My sister didn't call either. So much for my family.

After Terri left, I walked over to Lisbeth's. I knew she would be having the entire Rutledge clan over so I wanted to make sure there weren't any last minute things she needed. Everything was set for dinner. Her housekeeper would come for the meal and then leave. I told her I'd come to clean up. She wanted me to eat with them but there was no way I would do that. I was so out of my element with her family. They treated me well, but...square peg, round hole and all.

I had a little something for her too. I had found a pretty scarf and I knew she liked those. Gift buying always stumped me...especially when the giftee was someone like Lisbeth. She "oohed" and "aahed" when she opened it, so I guess she liked it. I hoped so anyway. Then she handed me my gift. It was a small box and I unwrapped it and opened it up and inside was a key...a car key. It was a key to a brand new Toyota Highlander.

"Lisbeth, I think you've lost your mind."

"Well, I've been told a lot of things Missy, but never that."

"You can't give me a brand new Toyota Highlander."

"I most certainly can and I just did. Here's the title, registration and all the papers you need."

"Lisbeth, I can't possibly accept this gift."

"You can and you will or you will vacate this property immediately."

My mouth formed a huge O. She was serious about this. I was shocked. She couldn't give me this car. She just couldn't. I stood there and shook my head.

"Look Alexia Smith Hammond. It's about time you let me do something nice for you. I have money. Lots of it. It's sitting in the bank or wherever the hell it sits, gathering dust. It sits there and makes more and more money. I can't possibly spend it all. I'm going to die soon and leave so much money to my children and grandchildren and they can't possibly spend it all. Take the damn car and just say, 'Thank you Lisbeth, I love it.' Make me a happy woman."

I laughed so hard my sides hurt.

"Thank you Lisbeth, I love it. But can I go look at it?"

"Honey, you can go drive all day long if you want. But be back here at five to help with this mess, will you?"

I hugged her hard and tore out the door, laughing. The Highlander was a silver beauty. I couldn't believe my eyes. I'd never had a new car in my twenty-eight years. I never really had a car that didn't break down all the time and was reliable and safe. Even the car that...well, I just wasn't going to think about that today. Nothing was going to spoil the Christmas of my brand new Toyota Highlander!

I drove around the Charleston peninsula, over the Arthur Ravenel Bridge across the Cooper River, and I crossed the Intracoastal Waterway on the Isle of Palms Connector. Then I made my way down Palm Boulevard, across Breach Inlet and onto Sullivan's Island. I meandered around until I hit the lighthouse. Then I turned around and drove past Poe's Tavern and Home Team and headed back to Mount Pleasant via the Ben Sawyer bridge. I soon found myself heading back into downtown Charleston. I turned into my driveway and then it hit me. I was in L-O-V-E! I loved my new car.

"Woohoo! I love my new car," I yelled as I jumped out of the car.

I ran into my carriage house, super excited and hopping around like an idiot. I was so psyched I didn't even notice my phone was ringing at first. I dug in my pocket for it and answered it without looking at the caller ID.

"Merry Christmas!" I shouted into the phone.

"Merry Christmas back to you. Sounds like Santa was good to someone I know."

My tummy immediately did a forward two and a half in the pike position and headed straight to my toes. It was Pearce. I'd recognize that rich, sexy voice anywhere. I forced myself into a quick recovery and said, "He sure was. How about you?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"On your answer."

"Oh. Well, ask your question then." I was so happy, there wasn't anything he could ask that would spoil my mood.

"Can I see you tonight?"

"Yes!"

Holy fuck Lex! You just agreed to see him!

"Really?" He must've been shocked by my answer. I was so excited with my new present that I was feeling very magnanimous.

"Yep, but I have to help clean up after Lisbeth's dinner. They're supposed to finish at five. What did you have in mind?"

"I'll come and pick you up at seven. Will that work?"

"It should be fine. What are we doing?"

"Christmas, silly. My place. Casual attire. Jeans are fine."

"Um, Pearce?"

"Yes."

"I didn't get you anything."

"Good. I didn't get you anything either. See you tonight."

********

It was five before I knew it and I headed over to the main house. The whole clan was everywhere so I didn't want to make a grand entrance. Slipping in the back door, I headed straight to the kitchen to start cleaning up. The dinner had been elaborate so I put all the uneaten food away in containers and stacked them in the refrigerator. Then I started putting the dishes in the dishwasher. I hand washed all the silver and delicate crystal and was finishing up when Lisbeth came into the kitchen.

"You've been a busy bee honey."

"It looks like you all had a good time."

"Yes we did. Take some food with you."

"I may come and get some tomorrow. I have a date at seven so I have to go."

"A date? With whom?" That look on her face told me I was going nowhere until she got an answer.

"With Pearce Middleton."

"Well, I'll be! You go and pretty yourself up, though you don't need any prettying up at all. Have fun, but I expect a full accounting tomorrow Missy!"

"Yes ma'am," I shouted as I headed out the back.

Once I got home I threw on some clean jeans and a pretty bright green flowy sweater. I put on my black boots and then I added a bit of blush to my cheeks. That was about it for make-up. Ever since my night with Beavis and Butthead, I'd thrown out the mascara tube. The thought of putting that sticky goop on my eyes made me itch. I quickly brushed my teeth and put some gloss on my lips. Adding some earrings and a bracelet, my attire was completed. I was ready for Smoky Eyes. Well, not really, but I was dressed anyway. I don't think I'd ever be ready for him.

At seven on the nose, my doorbell rang and there he stood. He held a piece of mistletoe over his head and had a sheepish grin on his face. I rolled my eyes at him and stood on my tip toes and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Huh uh. That won't do," he said, his rich voice sending shivers down my spine.

He put his arms around me and hugged my body to his. He looked me in the eye and the question was there, whether it was okay to continue. I nodded as I held my breath.

He bent his head and his lips touched mine, lightly, hesitantly at first. But then a spark lit between us and I tangled my fingers in that wavy hair on the nape of his neck and kissed him back. Just as I had imagined, boy could that man ever kiss. I was a goner for sure.

His lips were soft, yet firm. He knew his way around a girl's mouth. As I relaxed, I felt his tongue peek out and softly sweep over the curve of my lower lip. Before I knew it, he'd taken my lower lip between his teeth and started to gently nibble on it. Then he sucked it into his mouth. His tongue continued on its sexy exploration, tasting all the hidden secrets of my mouth. I was melting in his arms.

He finally lifted his head and said in that perfectly smooth voice of his, "Merry Christmas Alexia. You make the most unbelievably sexy noises when I'm kissing you."

I was speechless. He ran the back of his finger across my cheek and smiled. I wanted to touch every single inch of his body. I could've stood there staring at him like an idiot all night long.

"Are you okay?" he finally asked me.

I cleared my throat and shook my head slightly. "Um yes, I'm good. Fine, thanks."

Hell no I'm not okay. I'm so fucking toast. I'm done for here...no resistance. What am I going to do???

I heard a soft chuckle escape from his lips before he asked, "Shall we go?"

I just kept staring at the man and nodded.

We walked outside and I climbed into his Porsche 911. Of course, what else would he drive? He didn't live but a few blocks from me on New Street.

"I could've walked," I commented.

"Yes, but I came from my parents' house. I picked you up on the way home."

Well, that made sense. We entered his home and it was lovely. Not overdone or stark like so many of the remodeled homes of today. It was really perfect. He had impeccable taste. He had a series of beautiful paintings that lined the walls.

"This artwork is really amazing."

"Thanks. She's a local artist. Laurie Meyer is her name. I fell in love with her work a few years back and now I try to pick up some of her pieces whenever I can. She travels to various places and paints scenes from wherever she goes. She doing a lot from Italy right now."

"Makes me want to go."

"Maybe we can work that in sometime."

I smiled, loving the idea but knowing it would never be.

"Can I get you a glass of chardonnay?"

"Only if that's what you're having."

"Why's that?"

"I don't want you to open a bottle just for me."

"Alexia, I'd open the world just for you."

Okay, that's so not what I expected him to say.

"You don't have to respond to that. Is chardonnay your beverage of choice or would you prefer something else?"

I smiled, "Chardonnay would be excellent."

He was the perfect gentleman. He handed me the glass of wine and poured himself one too. We both grinned. He put the bottle in a chiller and we headed to a living area.

"Have a seat and make yourself at home."

He left for a moment and then I heard the music. It was classical. I should have guessed that. I knew some classical music, but not much.

He joined me again and said, "Don't worry, it's not all classical. I'm not that dreary. It's a mix."

"I like classical. I think it's beautiful."

He looked at me intently and said, "I think you're telling me the truth and not just saying that."

I looked at him then and his eyes were so captivating.

We both started to speak at the same time and then we laughed.

He said, "You go first."

"I was just going to tell you that you have amazing eyes."

He laughed really hard then and said, "That's interesting because I was going to tell you the exact same thing. Your eyes are quite lovely Alexia. And I adore your name. It's beautiful. As is all of you."

My oh my. What to say now?

"I need to tell you something Pearce. Maybe this will bring to light a bit of me and my issues. Do you even want to hear it?"

"A part of me doesn't...at least not tonight. I just want it to be you and me. Without anything else between us. But then the other part of me wants to get it out of the way."

"I don't know if I'll have to courage to bring this up again."

"Then by all means, you should tell me."

"A little over three years ago, the guy I was seriously dating was killed in a car wreck."

"Ah, I see."

"No, you don't. The thing is, we'd gotten into this huge fight. Yelling at each other. Pretty ugly actually. It was about us getting married. Anyway, I was really upset and I stormed out of the restaurant we were in. He followed and begged me not to leave. I didn't listen and got in my car, so he jumped in too and we headed down the road. It had been raining. We were still screaming at each other in the car. It was all so stupid. You know...hindsight, twenty-twenty and all. Anyway, I flew around this curve, lost control of the car and it flipped. The car ended up wrapped around a tree. Peter was killed instantly. I walked away with a few bruises. You know the typical story. You see this crap all the time I'm sure. So this whole thing has really fucked me up and I've been dealing with it in a not so healthy way that we maybe can discuss at some later time. I just thought you needed to know that."

Usually people immediately try to tell me it's not my fault and blah blah blah. And then they try to hug me and get all sappy assed with me. He did none of that. But what he did do was get on his knees in front of me and took my hands in his. He looked me dead on in the eyes and asked me one question.

"Did you mean for your car to flip and crash into that tree and for Peter to die as a result of it?"

"No, of course not."

"Then Alexia, you're going to have to find a way in your heart and soul to forgive yourself. You've heard this a thousand times, I'm sure. But that accident wasn't your fault. Now if you sat there and told me you wanted that car to crash, we'd have an entirely different matter. It doesn't mean anything that you were arguing. People argue and fight all the time. But they don't die doing it. It just happened. Can you understand what I'm telling you?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Then please try to forgive yourself. Peter would if he were here. God has forgiven you. Now it's up to you sweetheart."

No one had ever put it like that to me before. I would never have wanted Peter to die that night. I didn't mean for anything like that to happen. It was an accident.

"Find a way Alexia. Don't let this destroy your life."

I just sat there and nodded.

"There are other things about me you need to know, but I'm not ready to share those just yet."

"Okay. When you are, just say the word."

He sat back down next to me and picked up my hand and kissed the back of it. Then he faced me and took his hands and wrapped them around my face. "It's going to be okay. I'll help you if you'll let me."

I put my hands on his and touched my forehead to his. Something about him made me want to wrap myself around him and hold on for dear life. But I wouldn't ever do that to him until he knew the whole truth about me. I hadn't slept with anyone since the Beavis and Butthead incident. All those tests I had came back negative so I was healthy, thank God. But still. I had truly whored around and not remembered most of it. And the drugs too. He had to know before we entered into any kind of relationship. I would give him an out, because he was too good for me in my book anyway.

"I just might do that. But then you just might hate me."

"I won't ever hate you. I can promise you that."

"Pearce, don't make promises you can't keep. Look, I'm filled with some really nasty baggage. That attack is just one more thing added to the mix. I'm a lot to take on. Um, can we change the subject here?"

"Yeah, sure."

He released me, but I got the sense it was reluctantly. Then he stood up and held out his hand.

"Come with me please. I'd like to show you something."

We walked up a long flight of stairs, which was common in the old homes of Charleston since most of them had twelve foot ceilings. When we reached the top, I followed him to another flight of stairs and we climbed it. He led me through a door and we walked out on his rooftop. It was then I noticed we were on a widow's walk and we had a view of the Charleston harbor in one direction and a view of downtown in the other.

"This is amazing! I bet it's gorgeous in the daylight."

"Yeah, except in the summer it's so damn hot you can't walk out here after eight in the morning."

"I can imagine. But this is great. Look at all the stars."

"They really pop on a crisp night like tonight."

He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close to him.

"Is this okay Alexia?"

"Hmm. Yeah, Pearce, it's more than okay. You have to understand something. I'm not hesitant because of me. I'm only this way because of you. It's for your protection."

"Well then, why don't you stop worrying about me for a while. I'm a big boy and can take care of myself."

"I've noticed."

He bent his head into my hair and inhaled. "I love the way you smell Alexia."

Something, I don't know what, made me turn in his arms and the next thing I knew we were kissing. Not testing the waters kind of kissing, but full blown sparks flying, knees turning to Jell-o kind of kissing. My back was suddenly against the door and somehow he'd lifted me up and my legs were wrapped around his waist. His shirt was out of his pants and my hands were on his warm, smooth skin. And dear God, I'd never felt heat like this before. Never. Not even with Peter. It was nirvana.

I wanted to tear off my clothes and feel every inch of his naked skin next to mine. I wanted to run my hands across his chest and lick every inch of his body. I'd never had the urge to do that with anyone. Ever.

He lifted his head and looked directly into my eyes. Those smoky gray orbs of his were half closed and heavy with passion. They were reaching into my mind and asking that question, and I knew I had to say no, but I didn't want to. I wanted this moment to go on and on, with my body wrapped in his warm embrace.

"I want to but I can't...not until you know everything about me. Then you'll have to decide if you want to continue down this path Pearce."

"Then talk to me Alexia. Tell me what I need to know."

"Like this?"

"Yes, like this. Here. Now."

I licked my lips and swallowed. I had to find the courage to tell him the truth. It wasn't easy but I forced the words out of my mouth.

"I moved here after Peter died. Everyone I knew blamed me for his death so I had to get out of Lynchburg. When I got here I started partying...hard. Really hard. Not just alcohol. Drugs. Coke and weed mostly. Other stuff too like X. Nothing in the vein. Mainly pills. Anyway, I..." I dropped my head and squeezed my eyes shut and forced my breath through my lips. Taking another deep one, I rubbed my forehead and then my eyes. "I, hell, I really fucked around a lot. A lot Pearce. Not just a few times. This went on for three years so you can imagine. One morning I woke up between two guys I didn't even know. Fuck, the truth is I didn't know any of them. I didn't want to know any of them. And if you ask me why, I can't tell you. After that last stint, my friend Terri picked me up and made me go and get tested. Thank God I'm healthy. But I made the decision then to change. I stopped it all...no drugs, drinking, clubs anything. The only alcohol I've had has been with you. I don't have a drinking problem. I don't even want the stuff. I haven't been in a club or a bar since that night with you...that night I was attacked. Anyway, I thought you should know all of this before...so now that you do I guess you'll want to take me home."

I wiggled a bit but he only held me tighter.

Why wasn't he putting me down?

"Alexia, you have to stop making decisions for me. I told you I was a big boy and I meant it. Now, as for your behavior, I can't say I like what you've done because it would be a lie. I can't even say I understand it but I think I know why you did it. You have this self-loathing thing going on and it's part of that. You were giving yourself more of a reason to continue to hate yourself. I'm glad you stopped, I'm glad you got tested and I'm ecstatic you're healthy. You're obviously not an addict, to alcohol or drugs, or you'd have gone back to them way before now. Just so we're clear on all of this, you are responsible for your actions here, but you've cleaned up your ways and everyone fucks up. You've learned from your mistakes so you need to forgive yourself and move on. Okay?"

I nodded, feeling this burden had been lifted.

"Now will you go out to dinner with me?"

I started laughing my ass off and so did he.

"Will you do something for me?" he asked.

"Yes, what?"

"Will you go to counseling? You've been through entirely too much shit to handle this on your own."

He felt me stiffen and he raised his brows.

"I did and it made me worse."

"Then you had a shitty counselor. I know someone who's excellent. Will you go?"

I scrunched up my face and looked at him.

"Under one condition. If he makes me call my parents, I call it quits with your friend. I refuse to call my parents."

"Fine. Just be up front about that."

I nodded and agreed. "Are your arms not about to give out?"

"Alexia, my hands are on your lovely ass. What do you think?"

I squealed when he squeezed me. And then he was kissing me all over again. Wet passionate kissing. My hands had wandered back to the exploration of his abs and my fingers stepped across the sculpted curves of his muscles. I wanted to tear his shirt off and stare at what I knew would be perfection.

The door behind me suddenly opened and we were moving through it. We went down the stairs and I'm not quite sure how he accomplished it because his lips never left mine. His tongue danced with mine and the fire that started in my belly was now raging throughout my veins, turning my body into molten lava. My hands went back up to his hair, his thick soft wavy hair, and I fisted my hands in it and held on to him tightly.

We broke apart briefly and I realized he'd stopped moving. We were standing in the doorway of his bedroom and he was looking at me with his head tilted to the side.

"Alexia, I want to take you in there and make fierce passionate love to you for hours on end. I want to kiss your beautiful mouth and make you beg for me to do things to you you've never begged for before. I want to watch you sleep when you're so exhausted, I can't possibly eke one more orgasm out of you. But I won't do that tonight. Even though I want you more than anything I've ever wanted in my life. I won't do it tonight...not because of what you're thinking. I won't do it because when we decide to do it, we decide together. For the right reasons and not in the heat of the moment."

He started walking again and carried me back down the next flight of stairs until we were back in the main living area.

"Now that we're here, I find that I don't want to let you out of my arms," he confessed.

"Then don't."

His lips crashed into mine again as he set me down on the sofa. I pulled him to me by grabbing his shirt and yanking him. He nearly fell on top of me, but I couldn't have cared less. I didn't want to let him go either. I wanted him in my arms. I wanted to be surrounded by his warmth, his touch, his smell. I wanted his lips on mine, his hands on my body.

"Christ Alexia, you make it difficult on a man."

"Only you Pearce. I want you. Really want you. I've never wanted anyone the way I want you."

He started to say something but I put my fingers on his mouth.

"Please, let me finish. I know what you're going to say or maybe I don't. But let me just get this out. You know about my past. I did all of that under the influence of either alcohol or drugs. Other than that sip of wine I had earlier, I'm totally sober here. This may even be too much info for you, but there has never been anyone in my life I've wanted like I want you Pearce. I want to feel you all over. I want to run my hands over your body. Maybe I'm rushing things. I don't know. Maybe this isn't what you want. If it's not, just say the word and I'll back off. But if you feel like I do, please don't hold back because you think it may be more sensible or something like that."

He rubbed his cheek against mine and asked, "Are you sure about this? The last thing I want is for you to regret anything that happens between us."

"Regret? The only thing I'd regret is not holding you next to me and feeling your heart beat against mine."

He was on me like a magnet. I barely got the last word out when his mouth was on mine, taking and giving at the same time. He lifted me in his arms again and I smiled against his mouth.

"I think I could get used to this," I whispered against his lips.

"There's no thinking about this. I know I could," he said.

Up the stairs we went and straight through his bedroom door. He set me down on the bed and followed me there, straddling me. He leaned back on his heels and just stared.

I slid my hands up this thighs and continued to the waist of his jeans. I ran my fingers around it and under it, dying to get my hands all over him. As I unbuttoned his shirt I felt the breath leave my lungs. The man had no body fat. An exquisitely sculpted set of abs stared at me square in the eyes. I walked my fingers across them, nearly drooling at the sight before me.

My gaze drifted back to his and his eyes were half closed as he watched me. He pulled my sweater up and gently tugged it over my head. I lowered my eyes as I felt a feeling of shyness blanket me as he watched me. He took his index finger and lightly ran it from the base of my throat down to the waist of my jeans. He stopped when he got there, and then unbuttoned my jeans. His eyes never left mine as I heard him slowly unzip them. Lifting himself off of me, he slid my jeans off after he took off my boots. While he was up, he slipped off his jeans too. I watched every move of his and gaped like a fool, because he was simply too beautiful.

He turned and looked straight into my eyes as he shed his shirt. I wondered if he'd drop the boxers too. I didn't have to wonder too long because they went right after the shirt. I'm sure my heart either skipped a bunch of beats, or maybe it stopped beating altogether. I know for certain I stopped breathing...at least for an hour or so.

Slap me silly...this man should be the poster child for male perfection.

"Alexia," he breathed, "close your mouth sweetheart." He chuckled.

I swallowed. Again. "Fuck me Pearce."

"No sweetheart, not that. I intend to make love to you until you're insane with pleasure. But I won't ever fuck you." Then he chuckled again.

"Shit. I didn't mean to say that. Not shit. The fuck me part. Oh fuck!" I covered my face with my hands.

Oh God! What the hell Lex! How could you have said that?

He laughed again.

"I mean..."

"Sweetheart, I know what you meant. Or that you didn't mean you wanted me to fuck you. I was trying to make a bit of a joke. But I do fully intend to drive you insane tonight."

"You already are...without even trying."

"Just you wait." He slipped off my panties and next went my bra. Then he sat there and stared. I began to feel a bit self-conscious when he didn't say anything. Finally, I think I started to squirm or something because he said, "Alexia, don't be shy. You're spectacular. You've a mouth made for kissing and a body made for love. You're the loveliest thing I've ever seen. You're skin is like silk...so soft and smooth and your hair. Dark chocolate...to match your eyes. Warm and inviting. You're ravishing. And you've charmed the pants off of me. See?"

I looked at him and giggled. Then his tongue was all over my body, making me writhe. He started at my neck and made his way south, slowly exquisitely and excruciatingly sexy. I couldn't hold still as his tongue found areas of my body I had no idea could give me such pleasure. My ribcage, my hip bones. It went on and on. My gasps filled the room repeatedly. When his mouth clamped onto my nipple, I nearly flew off the bed. It was a good thing those old Charleston houses had thick walls or else the neighbors would've been appalled at the noises coming from Pearce's house.

Pearce stuck to his promise because he made me come twice before he really got down to business. By the time his mouth hit the inside of my thighs, I was jelly. I couldn't have stood up if the house had been on fire. He nibbled and sucked and licked his way up my thigh until he came to that place where my legs joined together. He swirled and flicked his tongue across and around that tiny sensitive bud and then slipped it inside of me. He repeated this until I came again, practically screaming his name.

"Not yet Alexia," he said as he flipped me on my stomach. He started running his tongue up and down my spine, sucking and nipping at me. Running his hands along my back, he moved down to my ass and started massaging the muscles there. Soon I was so relaxed, he continued the massage up to my shoulders and neck.

His tongue was everywhere. I soon felt his teeth on my ass, when he started biting me...little bites that drove me wild. Then his fingers were running down my ass and sliding along to that little crux of sensitivity, rubbing circles on it.

"Please, Pearce. I need you. I need to feel you inside of me."

"I'm there Alexia," he said as he flipped me back over and slid his length into me.

"Ah," I cried.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Just hold still for a minute. You're kind of, um big," I gasped.

He burst out laughing. "I'm sorry sweetheart. Better?" he asked after a minute.

"I'm not sorry," I said as I nudged him. "And yes I'm much better now. In fact, I'm perfect."

"Don't I know it." He started moving again. At first, very slowly, gently, until I was used to him. Then he started moving a bit faster.

"Oh yes, Pearce."

"Alexia, open your eyes and look at me."

I did as he asked. Those smoky gray eyes were intensely focused on me. Only me.

"That's it sweetheart. Tell me what you want."

"You. I want you."

"Yes, but how do you want me? Like this?" He swiveled his hips around and pushed himself into me.

"Ahh," I cried.

"Or like this." He pulled almost all the way out and then thrust back in and repeated the movement. "What do you like Alexia? Tell me so I'll know. Or is this what you like?" He slipped a hand between us and started to rub that tiny spot. "Don't close your eyes Alexia. You're going to come and I want to watch."

Suddenly everything went out of control and I screamed his name as I orgasmed. It went on and on. I wrapped my legs around his waist and squeezed, rocking back and forth.

"Oh, Alexia, yes," he said as he came. We were both breathing like we'd just run a damn marathon or two.

"Wow. Just wow," I said after I could finally speak again.

I felt his chest rumble. "I take it you were satisfied."

"Don't even try to pretend you couldn't tell."

He laughed even harder.

"Is this something they teach in medical school because Dr. Middleton, you certainly have the magic touch?"

Something shifted in his eyes. The humor disappeared and was replaced by an intense emotion that stirred my passion.

"It's you Alexia. I've never..." he closed his eyes for a moment and tucked his head in the crook of my neck. When he lifted it, his eyes were even darker. "I've never felt so close to someone while making love before. This is crazy, I know, but it's the way I feel. I'm just being honest here." His eyes never left mine as he spoke.

I lifted my fingers to his lips and gently touched them. Then I put my lips where my fingers had been.

"It's not crazy at all. I know exactly how you feel because I feel the same way. I've never wanted to touch anyone like I want to touch you."

"Stay with me tonight. I want to wake up with you by my side, wrapped in my arms. I know this is fast and maybe we're making a mistake, but I want you in my arms tonight. Please say yes."

"I thought that was the plan. Didn't you say you were going to make love to me all night long?

"I did, didn't I? Well, I'd better get a move on then because the last thing I'd want is to disappoint you. Alexia, tell me what you like."

"No Pearce. I want you to discover it for yourself. You've already done a damn good job of it so far."

He laughed and his hands started to work their magic.
CHAPTER NINE

I was being smothered and bound again. I felt bands tightening around me and I started to struggle...thrashing and kicking. Then I screamed and tried to break free of whoever had me trapped. I was gasping for air as I tried to escape.

Suddenly I heard a voice that was calling my name. This time it was deep, rich and steady, and not harsh and nasty like before

"Alexia, wake up. You're having a nightmare. Please honey, wake up."

Hands were on my face, but they were touching me gently, moving my hair away. I opened my eyes and Pearce's face came into focus. His eyes were soft, but filled with concern.

"Oh Jesus, Pearce." I was shaking so badly I couldn't really speak.

"Breathe for me honey. You had a nightmare. That's all it was. Everything's fine sweetheart."

"They had me again."

"No one has you but me." He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his side. "Keep breathing honey, nice and slow. That's it."

His hands moved up and down my back, massaging circles on it and slowly I felt the tension leave me.

"I was so scared. I was back in that place again."

"I know sweetheart. You scared me to death when you started screaming. Everything's okay now. You feeling better?"

"Much, thanks."

I felt so safe in his arms. I knew at that moment I never wanted to leave.

When I woke up again, the sun was streaming through the cracks in the shutters. A band of steel encircled my waist and a muscular thigh was draped across my hip. I peeked under the covers and grinned. Pearce's hand splayed across my belly, so I covered his hand with my own.

I felt his mouth moving against my neck before I heard the words, "Good morning gorgeous."

"Good morning to you."

I turned over so I could see him. His hair was mussed and that unruly lock fell across his forehead. His smoky eyes were soft and sexy. He brushed my hair off of my face and moved to kiss me.

"Stop. I need to brush my teeth."

"So do I."

That didn't stop him from moving in to kiss me. And the thing is, it didn't bother me at all. Then his hands moved all over my body and soon we were moving to a steady rhythm of our own. In the middle of it all, he stopped suddenly and flipped us over, putting me on top.

"I have a serious need to watch you make love to me," he said. His eyes were half closed and he ran his tongue along his lower lip, as if her were anticipating tasting something really special. I leaned over him and touched his lip with my tongue and he groaned. He thrust into me, hard, so I sat up and started to move my hips, catching his motion. He laced his fingers with mine and brought my hand down to my sex.

"Touch yourself Alexia. I want to watch you."

My eyes almost popped out of my head, as I pulled my hand away.

"I...I can't do that!" I protested in shock.

"Yes, you can. Do it for me. Please. It turns me on just to think about it. But to see it, with me inside of you, would be amazing." He guided my hand back down to that spot. "Please. I'll help you. Just like this." He started a light circular motion, his fingers on top of mine, but before long, his hand was gone and I was doing it to myself as he watched.

I could feel the tension building and threatening to burst when he said, "Open your eyes Alexia and come for me sweetheart."

The second I looked at him, my orgasm erupted and I was calling his name, collapsing onto his chest.

"That's right babe, you look so amazing when you come. Christ, I've never seen anything so fucking beautiful."

I was being cradled by him as his hands moved up and down my back, while he kept whispering love words in my ear.

When I had my wits back again, I raised myself on my elbows and just stared at him. I wanted to tell him a million things, but I didn't dare let myself because it was way too soon to talk about this kind of stuff. So I did something else instead. I began to do to him what he did to me the night before. I worshipped his body with my hands, mouth and tongue, licking, sucking, nibbling and kissing every inch of him. When I got to the very best part, I took him into my mouth and pleasured him until he was pulling my hair and fisting the sheets.

"Jesus Alexia, you're going to put me into oblivion. I knew I was right."

"About what?"

"Your mouth. It was made for kissing. And not just my lips sweetheart. Come here."

I crawled up from the end of the bed and he grabbed me so I ended up on top of him.

"One day," he said.

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"One day you'll stay here. Forever."

I laughed.

"I not kidding Alexia. I'm serious."

His eyes didn't leave mine for a millisecond. He didn't even blink.

"I don't think I..."

He interrupted me. "I'm not asking you to think. You're going to marry me one day Alexia. Don't worry sweetheart, I'm a patient man and I'm willing to wait for you to work out your issues. Notice I said your issues, because that's what they are."

My jaw hit the floor and I didn't know what to say or do. I couldn't breathe.

"I guess I've shocked you." He still hadn't looked away.

I just nodded. Something pushed against my heart and warmed me from within. My voice had disappeared. I couldn't seem to find it. I wanted to say something, anything. He'd said what I'd been thinking, but I was stupefied to hear it put into words.

"You don't need to say anything and I hope I didn't just scare the shit out of you."

"No! You didn't. I was thinking along those same lines but I thought I was being ridiculous. But this is so fast Pearce. You have to know that. As much as I feel for you, I know it is. This scares me. We scare me. I've been fucked up for so long. I want us to be together one day, but only when I'm healthy and over all this shit. Just look what happened during the night. I'm still dealing with that damn attack on top of all this other stuff."

"I'm sorry. And now I've dumped this on you."

"Don't be sorry and don't think of it as that. This is a beautiful thing. I've never felt this way before."

"Even about Peter?"

"One of the things I felt the guiltiest about over his death was that damn argument we had. He wanted to get married and I didn't. Yeah, I loved him, but not enough to marry him. That's why I carried this guilt for so long."

"Shit Alexia. I'm so sorry."

"Me too. But Pearce, I've never felt like this toward anyone. You're my first."

He grabbed my face and kissed me hard.

"Then can we be exclusive?" he asked.

"I already think of you as mine. I just want us to take this a bit slower." He smiled and it felt like sunshine bathing my body in its warmth.

"You have plans for today?" he asked.

"Only with you."

"Good. Lets shower and then I want to take you somewhere."

"Where?"

"Huh uh. It's a surprise."

He tugged my hand and I followed him to his massive shower. I thought we'd never get out of there. About an hour later, we emerged scrubbed, shaved, shampooed, conditioned, and, thoroughly loved as well.

While we were getting dressed, I told him about my Christmas present from Lisbeth. He informed me he'd heard about it from his grandmother. I was shocked.

"Alexia, this is Charleston. Not much goes on south of Broad without everyone knowing about it. Especially if it has to do with Lisbeth and my grandmother. They are best friends you know."

He was right. I hadn't thought about it, but south of Broad, or SOB, where all the blue bloods lived was a well known gossip arena.

"So?" he asked.

"So what?"

"Aren't you going to ask?" he teased.

"Ask what?"

"Ask what my grandmother said."

I hadn't even thought about that. "Okay, I'll take the bait."

"Let me see if I can get it right. She said, 'Pearce, you know your friend Alexia must be mighty special if Lisbeth bought her a brand new Toyota Highlander for Christmas. You know that Lisbeth Rhett Dubose Rutledge doesn't let loose of a penny unless someone forces her to.' I think I got it right."

I bent over in a fit of the giggles. It wasn't so much what he said, it was how he said it. He used a high soprano-like voice with an exaggerated Charleston accent.

"Oh my God! I wish I had recorded that. You were perfection. And that accent!" I was still laughing so hard that my sides were beginning to hurt.

"Honey, growing up here...you know it comes with the territory. I had to temper it when I left here and went to Duke. My patients couldn't understand me."

"I bet! Chicago was probably even worse."

"No, by that time, I'd learned to hide it."

"Well, Dr. Middleton, I think it's mighty sexy."

"Hmm, do you now?" He grabbed me and bent me backward over his arm and kissed me. I grabbed his shirt and pulled him to me. It started out as a fun kiss but quickly turned into a heated, passion filled one, as I hugged him tightly to me.

"We'll never get out of here if we don't stop now," I said against his mouth.

"I know," he said back against mine.

We reluctantly let go and headed out the door.
CHAPTER TEN

Pearce pulled into my driveway and we walked into the house.

"Wear something warm and bring a sweater and a jacket," he called to me.

"Come in and tell me what'll be best."

He searched my closet and pulled out a light sweater and then a heavier one to layer on top. Then he looked through my coats and pulled my Barbour jacket off the rack and said, "Let's go."

We headed to his car when I remembered that I promised Lisbeth I'd check in on her. "Oh wait. I promised I'd check on Lisbeth today. Part of my job. Do you mind?"

"Not a bit."

"Come on then. She'd love to see you," I said with a grin.

We headed to her back door and we let ourselves in.

"Lisbeth. Are you here?"

I walked through and found her in her favorite sitting area, reading the paper. She was thrilled to see Pearce, especially since he flirted shamelessly with her. We didn't stay too long and I promised to check on her the next day.

We got in his car and Pearce made a couple of stops, one at the Harris Teeter grocery store and another at a local wine shop. Then he headed to the City Marina and parked.

As we walked along the dock, everyone recognized Pearce. I had a pretty good idea of where we were headed, but when I saw our final destination, I almost peed my pants.

"Um, you could've given me a little warning, Pearce."

"Why?"

"Well, this is huge."

"Don't worry, I have someone captaining today. We can sit back and enjoy the ride."

"Pearce, I'm not worried. I'm intimidated."

He immediately stopped what he was doing and set all the stuff he was carrying on the dock. Turning to me he took me into his arms and said, "Don't ever be intimidated by any of this. It's all stuff Alexia. Materialistic shit. You, on the other hand, are priceless. If anyone should be intimidated, it's me." Then he hugged me and held me in his arms for a moment. That familiar warmth in my heart returned.

Suddenly we heard a voice from above saying, "Dr. Middleton, do you need a hand?"

"Hey Jack! No thanks, I've got this. We'll be up in a second." Then Pearce looked at me and said, "Ready?"

I nodded and he helped me board the "TSCSC."

"I have to ask. What's TSCSC?"

"Promise not to laugh?"

"I promise."

"When I got this thing, I couldn't figure out what to name it. I suck at picking out creative names so I just used the initials for trauma surgeon, Charleston, SC. I know, it's pretty lame."

I couldn't help it. I bit my lips trying to hold the laughter in but it didn't work. I ended up spurting it out of my mouth.

"You too, huh? I've gotten more grief from everyone I know about that. I'll make a deal with you. If you can come up with anything better, have at it. I'm tired of getting hell from everyone."

We walked aboard and I gasped when I looked around. The boat wasn't like anything I'd imagined. You could live on this thing. It was beautiful. Soft colors, comfortable furnishings, modern kitchen appliances. There were two staterooms, but the master bedroom was huge.

Pearce put all the food away and Jack readied the boat for departure. I sat on the upper deck and watched. We headed out into the Charleston harbor and made our way past the jetties. It was a beautiful day, warm with clear blue skies and the breeze was gentle so the seas were calm.

We finally passed the C2 buoy, which was the final marking of the passage into Charleston. We'd been in open water and I stood out on the deck next to Pearce and he had his arm around my waist. It was a great feeling of freedom and the boat skimmed across the sea. The sea birds soared in the air above and in the distance, every now and then, you could see some kind of fish jump.

"Are you hungry?"

"Starved. We forgot about breakfast."

"No, we didn't. I had you for breakfast."

My face heated up in remembrance of our early morning love making session.

"Alexia, I love saying things that make you blush."

I opened my mouth to respond but was met with his lips as he quickly kissed me. I turned in his arms and kissed him back. He moaned into my mouth and I entwined my fingers in his hair.

He pulled back and asked, "Are you trying to distract me because you're doing a damn fine job of it?"

I just laughed and said, "You deserve it after that remark."

"Come on, let's eat. I can't have you starving on me."

We went below and he started pulling out all sorts of food. Cheeses, crusty breads, some she crab soup, fruit and benne seed wafers.

He heated up the soup in the microwave and served everything else.

"Wine, San Pellegrino, water?"

"Wine and San Pellegrino please."

He poured our drinks and he put everything on a tray and we took it all back up top so we could enjoy the view and the lovely day.

As we ate, we talked. I asked about his family and he told me he had two brothers and a sister. He was second to the oldest and his sister was the youngest. That's who he was with the night I saw him in Camellia's. She was spoiled rotten and could be a pain in the ass, but he thought we'd get along great. He adored his family; it was easy to see.

I told him about mine. How they pretty much dumped me after Peter's death. Blamed me for it all. Didn't want to know anything about what happened. They just knew I was driving and we'd been fighting and that was enough for them. I told him even my sister dumped me. That was why I moved out of Virginia.

He wanted to know how I ended up in Charleston. I told him it was because of Terri. We were college roommates at the University of Virginia. She was from here and always claimed she would move back to Charleston after she graduated. She did. So when Peter died, she was the only one who stuck by me. She ended up persuading me to move here.

I looked at him and smiled. "You know, it took me a while, but now I know it was the best decision I ever made."

He tucked a piece of fly away hair behind my ear and kissed me there. Then he whispered, "I couldn't agree with you more."

We ate some more but he noticed I hadn't touched my soup.

He dipped his spoon in his and held it out and said, "Open up."

I did as he ordered and he slipped the spoon in my mouth and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

"Oh shit. Oh fuck, that is un-fucking-believable."

He roared. "Haven't you ever had she crab soup?"

"No! I didn't know what the hell it was but was too embarrassed to ask."

He slipped another spoonful into my mouth.

"Oh my God. Holy fuck. This is orgasmic."

He threw back his head and started laughing so hard, I thought he was going to bust the table. He pounded it with his fist.

"Give me that damn bowl and spoon." I grabbed it from him and wolfed the rest of the soup down.

He stared at me with a stupid grin on his face. "Honey, I love to see a woman who's not afraid to eat."

"Well then, you'll be thrilled with me because as I've just demonstrated, I'm a pig with absolutely no table manners and I'm unashamedly proud of my appetite."

"Kiss me."

I did as he asked and suddenly I was on his lap, my hands tangled in his hair and his hands under my sweater. Then he was standing up and carrying me down below and we found ourselves in one of the staterooms, naked, in bed, making mad, crazy love.

I was on top, straddling him and he suddenly sat up and we were face to face. He scooted to the edge of the bed so he could drop his legs over the side.

"I need to be close to your face. I want to touch your mouth, your lips, your neck. God Alexia, you drive me crazy with need for you."

"Oh Pearce, I can't begin to tell you how I feel. I don't think there are words for it."

He moved within me and I moaned.

"The sounds you make when I'm inside of you just drive me insane."

He groaned and talk about sounds. If he wasn't the sexiest man alive, there wasn't one.

My arms were around his neck and I bent my head to his shoulder.

"No, I have to see your face. I need to see you Alexia. Don't hide your face from me."

I lifted my head and held his face in my hands. "I'm not hiding from you. I would never hide from you. I love you Pearce."

Shitfuckdamnhell! I said the L word.

I hadn't meant to say that. It just slipped out.

My eyes grew wide and probably looked like they were going to pop right out of my head. I froze.

"Say it again," he said hoarsely as his gaze penetrated mine.

"What?" I evaded him.

"Don't you dare run from me now Alexia. Say it again!" he commanded.

All the while he was still moving inside of me and I was ready to come. I couldn't believe I had said that and he was demanding I say it again.

"Fuck it! I love you Pearce!"

"I love you too. That's why I want you to marry me."

As soon as the words left his mouth I climaxed, and then he followed me. We didn't move or say anything for a while. We just sat there, locked in each other's arms, holding on tightly.

"I'm not ever going anywhere Alexia. I won't ever leave. I won't ever stray. I'll always be yours, faithful to the very end."

Shit. He was too fucking good to be true.

I felt my face becoming slick with my tears, as they dripped down my cheeks.

He took my face in his hands and said, "I mean it Alexia. I'll be yours forever. So you see, it doesn't matter if you say yes or no...if we take it slow or fast. You have me whether you want me or not." He wiped my tears with the pads of his thumbs. "Don't cry beautiful. It hurts my heart when you do."

"Oh Pearce. I'm so fucking scared. I've never gotten anything right in my life. I want to marry you but I'm so afraid I'll fuck it up, just like I've fucked up everything else. The last thing I ever want to do is to mess things up with you."

"Why do you think you'll fuck it up?"

"I don't know. I just have this knack for doing that."

"No you don't. You just think you do. But tell you what. Let's take it a day at a time. When you're ready, you say the word. But like I said, I'm not going anywhere. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay." I sniffed.

"You know something?"

"What?"

"You have the greatest nipples." And he grinned that super sexy smile of his and I laughed and just shook my head.

He lifted me off of him and stood me up between his legs. Then he pulled me closer and kissed my stomach. He moved his mouth over to the two scars from the stab wounds and kissed those next.

He lifted his head and said, "I never told you this, but that night the call came in and I got to the O.R., when I saw it was you, I flipped out. I went into the locker room and punched in a wall and then followed it with a pretty hard kick. They had to replace a section of sheetrock. I was freaking out until all the scans came back and I knew you were going to be okay. Alexia, I really did hold your hand throughout the entire surgery. I told my partner if he fucked it up that I'd kill him."

I couldn't breathe for a moment. "I didn't know."

"I know you didn't. You acted like you didn't want to have anything to do with me so I wasn't going to tell you I went psycho over you. I think I fell in love with you that first time I saw you in Camellia's. When you took my drink order."

"Grey Goose extra dirty martini with extra olives. My favorite."

"I couldn't stop looking at you. That's why I acted like I was ignorant about the menu choices. I loved the sound of your voice. You made the food sound so delicious."

I laughed. "It was my job."

"No, sweetheart. It was you. Look, I'm not gonna lie. I could stay naked with you forever. But, since this is your first time on the TSCSC, let's go back up so you can enjoy the day."

The rest of the day was perfect. Jack made a huge loop and when the sun started to set he headed back to the marina. It was super dark by the time we docked and Pearce looked at me and asked me if I wanted to spend the night on the boat.

I declined because I didn't have anything with me. I wanted to go home and gather some things because he'd already informed me I was staying with him again. He was on call the next day, Sunday, but he wanted me all for himself that night.
CHAPTER ELEVEN

We walked in Pearce's door at eight o'clock and I plugged my iPhone in because it was dead. As soon as I did, it fired up with five missed called and ten texts...all from Terri wanting to know where the hell I was.

I immediately called her. I tried to scoot away from Pearce but he intentionally stalked me and wouldn't let me escape his arms.

"Where the hell are you? I was giving you till ten to call me before I called the police. Geez Lex, I've been calling you since last night. What the hell!"

She was yelling so loud in the phone, Pearce could hear every word.

"You'd better tell her about me," he said.

"Who's that? Where are you?" she demanded to know.

"Calm down Terr, I'm at Pearce's."

"Who?"

"Pearce."

"You mean Smoky Eyes?"

I flicked my head to him and he raised his brows. My face immediately started to burn.

Shit. Fuck.

"Yeah, Terri, that's right. Smoky Eyes."

"What the fuck Lex! When did all this go down?"

"Long story. Let me just say he called on Christmas morning and we got together that night."

"Humph. That's exactly how long I've been tryin' to get in touch with you. Couldn't you at least have called me? Damn, I've seriously been worried sick about you."

"I'm sorry Terri. I really am. We just sort of got caught up here and then my phone went totally dead on me."

"Ever hear of electrical outlets? Shit. Forget it. I'm just glad you're okay. Look, it sounds like you're still tied up, so call me when you're alone and free. Okay?"

"K. I love you Terri."

"I love you too Lex."

I turned off the phone and looked up to see Pearce staring at me with a comical look on his face.

"Smoky Eyes, huh?"

Shit!

"Yeah, that was my nickname for you. I told you that I fell in love with your eyes, didn't I?"

"You might have mentioned something like that." He was smiling from ear to ear.

We ended up snacking on the rest of the food he'd bought for the boat and watching a romantic comedy that night. Then we went upstairs for another lovemaking marathon.

The next morning, I rolled over and reached out my arm to find a cold empty bed. I felt lost and alone. It was really weird too. For years I'd been alone and didn't mind. Now, just two nights with Pearce had me backtracking on all of that. I wanted him in here...and bad.

I sat up and then I spied the note on the bedside table.

Good morning my beautiful Alexia,

It is my most fervent hope that you had a wonderful night filled with vividly sexy dreams of me. I would like you to share them if you did, so that we can act them out tonight. I am at work so please call me when you awaken. If I'm in surgery, I obviously won't be able to answer. Please leave a message or text me and I'll call you back as soon as I'm able to. I miss you already and can't wait to hold you in my arms again.

There is coffee ready for you and anything is yours for the taking as far as breakfast is concerned (and anything else as well). I've left a key for you on the kitchen counter and the code for the alarm is 171272* Keep this somewhere so you can come and go freely.

I look forward to seeing you tonight.

I love you,

Pearce

I got up and searched his closet for one of his shirts to put on. Then I reread the note about forty three times before I finally set it down. In the kitchen, I made myself a cup of coffee and wandered around his lovely home, looking at the pictures and other things he had sitting around.

I looked in every room, wanting to be close to him. Seeing a piece of him everywhere, I ran my fingers along his desk and other things that reminded me of him. Tonight would take forever to get here. I just knew it.

I looked at the clock and saw it was almost ten. I hit the stairs and stripped off my clothes. Walking into his shower, I was hit with the memory of our shower from yesterday, and I leaned against the wall and sighed. Every time I thought of him my knees went weak. I had to get my mind on something else or I would turn into one of those simpering women I'd always hated. The ones that pined over their men.

Finishing my shower, I got dressed, dried my hair and put on my makeup. I decided to give Pearce a call and he answered immediately.

"Hello Gorgeous."

"Hello Gorgeous back. I just got out of the shower. It was a long one spent there thinking of the one we had together yesterday."

"Stop. You can't do this to me. I'm getting ready to do a splenectomy and a kidney repair on an accident victim. I need my head in the right spot."

"Oh, sorry, honey."

"Don't be. Did you sleep well?"

"Of course. I was well exercised." I laughed.

I heard voices in the background and other noises.

"Look sweetheart, I have to go. They're ready for me to scrub. I'll call you as soon as I'm finished. I love you Alexia."

"Love you too Pearce. Do a good job in there."

"Thanks hon."

He ended the call. I went down the stairs, took the key and the code and set the alarm on my way out. I locked up and walked home. It was only about three blocks...or two and a half.

When I got home, I called Terri and asked her if she wanted to meet me at Home Team for lunch. We decided to meet at twelve thirty at the one across the Ashley River.

I did a couple of loads of laundry and vacuumed when my cell phone rang. It was Pearce telling me he was done with the first surgery but that he was getting ready to do another. He didn't know what time he'd be done, but he'd call when he could.

I finished up my chores and headed across the Ashley to meet Terri. She was shocked when she saw me pull into the parking lot.

"Pearce?"

"No. Lisbeth. My Christmas present." I laughed.

"You've got to be kidding me. This is awesome."

"I know, right? I did my best to talk her out of it because I feel so guilty about it, but she would have nothing to do with it. It's mine free and clear."

"It'a a beaut, Lex, it's a beaut!" She used her National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation voice and had me in tears, laughing.

We got a table and she pulled every last teeny detail out of me about my time with Pearce. She had a knack for that. I didn't hold anything back. Part of me wanted her to tell me that I was insane and it would never work and the other part wanted her to pat me on the back and tell me what a great job I'd done.

In Terri's usual way, she did neither. She looked at me hard, like I knew she would and said, "I need to meet him. I'll reserve judgement on all of this until I do."

"Fair enough."

We talked about a few other things and then it was time to go. We hugged and I promised I'd set up a time for them to meet. I really wanted her honest opinion.

I got home and pulled out my computer so I could start getting ready for work the next day. Ugh, I hated to even think about it. I had gotten spoiled having these few days off.

I went through all my emails and answered my clients. Then I pulled up appointment I had scheduled for the next day and made sure all my preparations were completed.

I turned on the TV and waited for Pearce to call. When the clock hit eleven, I decided to head for the bed. I texted him to let him know and hit the sack.

********

PEARCE

"Middleton, get your ass in here, stat!" my partner called out. I finished scrubbing and waited to be gloved, masked, shielded and gowned by one of the personnel.

"I'm here," I said moving into the sterile field.

"What the hell took you so long? Your head's in the clouds. Must be a woman."

"Must be," I answered. "Wanna tell me what we have here?"

"Yeah, what we have is a mess. Gunshot wound. Abdomen. Perforated bowel and then some. Need I say more?"

"Nope. Let's go to work."

We got the patient patched up and into recovery but it was one of those days. One right after the next. And the whole time all I thought of was Alexia. And that she loved me. She. Loved. Me.

I smiled. It was a damn good thing I had a mask on for most of the day because everyone around me would've wondered what kind of happy-assed pills I was popping. It wasn't like me to be smiling through all the shit messy cases we were dealing with today. But I couldn't help it. Alexia put a smile on my face that I couldn't erase.

Whatever it was that broke through her barriers, I was thankful for. She explained about her past and honestly I didn't give a flying fuck. I knew she was a good person. I could feel it and see it in her eyes. She had repented enough for the sins she had committed and for the ones she hadn't. I only prayed should could move on and I planned to help her do just that.

"Dr. Middleton, they need you in five."

The intercom in the surgeon's lounge interrupted my thoughts so I tossed the rest of my lunch in the trash and headed back to work.

********

I must've been wiped because the next thing I knew my phone was ringing and it was two in the morning.

"Hullo," I mumbled into the phone.

"Hey babe. Sorry to wake you, but unlock your door. I was swamped and just finished. I want to crawl in next to you and pass out."

"On the way."

I went to the door and unlocked it and was in his arms before I knew it. His face was chilly from the night air and I shivered as he kissed my neck.

"Come on, sweetheart, let's get you back in bed."

He tugged me along and I got under the covers and he slid in behind me and pulled me against him.

"God, I missed the hell out of you today. Do you think you can go to med school and become my partner so we can always be together?"

I chuckled. "I don't think so. The sight of blood makes me pass out."

"Hmm. Guess that won't work then. I'll have to come up with something else."

He snuggled in closer and I heard his breathing even out and that's the last thing I remembered.

********

My alarm woke us at six and Pearce groaned.

"I'm sorry. I should've set it on vibrate."

"It's okay honey. I can go back to sleep. I don't need to be in until nine."

I got up and went into the bathroom, showered and got ready for work. He was sound asleep when I came out. I headed to my closet and got dressed. The coffee was already made when I hit the kitchen. I poured myself a cup and wrote him a sexy note about how I loved to find a hot guy named Pearce in my bed in the morning.

I left him my extra key and headed to work. My office was in Mount Pleasant so I headed over the Cooper River and was enjoying the view and singing my head off as the traffic thickened. I knew it was a bad sign because it was only seven fifteen when I suddenly came to a dead stop.

I flipped on the radio and sure enough, there were reports of an accident ahead. All lanes were blocked. Great. I'd be sitting here for a while.

I looked around and happened to see some guy waving at me. I looked closer and damn if it wasn't Beavis again. Why couldn't I get away from this dude? I gave him a slight wave and turned away. Then I had another thought. Now he knows what my car looks like and can even snag my tag number off the back.

Shitfuck!

I looked to see if I could change lanes but I was jammed in, just like everyone else. I decided to try to use the time to get some work done.

A few minutes later, I heard this tapping on my window. I looked up and you know who was standing there with a big grin on his face.

"Hey girl. You're looking downright professional today. No par-tay time for you, huh?"

"Um, I'm actually trying to get some work done here. This wreck is messing me up," I said curtly. My heart started hammering in my throat. What the hell was he doing?

"How about we get together again sometime. Brett and I really had a great time."

Brett? That must be Butthead.

"Look, that was a huge mistake. I was really messed up that night and I'm not into that anymore."

He reached inside my car and clamped his hand on my arm. His voice hardened as he said, "My feelings are a little hurt here Lexi. We treated you to some good stuff and now you're acting like you're too good for us," he snarled.

I tried to pull my arm away from him, but he held on like a vise. My voice shook as I replied, "That's not it at all. I just decided that I needed to slow down and walk the straight and narrow. I was going at it a bit too hard so I've backed off it all."

"Well, the way I see it, you still owe us," he growled.

"How so?"

"You did a bunch of our stuff. That's how so."

"So you want me to pay you or something because you never said anything about that?"

He looked at me and his eyes turned dark as his lips thinned into a sneer. "Listen sugar, I don't want your money. I want a three-peat of what we did before. A little Lexi-wich, if you feel me. Now, I can play nice or rough. Your choice." His hand was squeezing the crap out of my arm now and it was really hurting me.

"My choice is not to play at all. Leave me the hell alone," I said as I tried to jerk my arm free again.

I pushed the button and rolled up my window, catching his arm in the process. He started hollering as he released his grip on me. "Let me out of here," he cried.

"Are you going to be a nice boy?" I asked. I didn't know where the hell this bravado came from, because in reality I was shaking in my boots. Literally.

"Yeah. Just roll the window down, bitch."

"Ask me nicely and say please."

"Please roll the window down."

I did...just enough for him to pull his arm though. Then he did what I expected. "You're gonna pay for this bitch."

He jogged back to his car, rubbing his arm all the way. I watched him and made sure I got the make and model of his car, which was a newer black Honda Accord. When traffic started moving again, I scooted into the far right lane and kept an eye on his vehicle. I was finally able to get his tag number and I committed it to memory.

By the time I made it into Mount Pleasant, I was shaking so badly I had to pull off into the first gas station. I was sweating profusely and I could feel the beginnings of a panic attack. Right then my phone started ringing.

I looked at the caller ID and it was Pearce.

"Pearce!"

"Alexia! What's wrong?"

"I...I..." I couldn't breathe, or talk or say anything. I started hyperventilating.

"Alexia, can you hear me? If you can hear me, don't put the phone down honey. Keep it up to your ear. I can hear you breathing. Shit! Please tell me you're okay. Or tell me where you are so I can come and get you. Can you text me?"

I was panting and my face was starting to tingle. I heard someone tapping on my window and my first thought was that Beavis had followed me. When I looked up I saw it was a woman. I put my shaking hand on the button to lower the window and just handed her my phone.

I kept trying to gulp in air but it only seemed to make things worse. She started talking to Pearce and ran inside the Seven-Eleven. Minutes later she came back holding a paper sack in her hand.

"Put this over your mouth and take some deep breaths. You're hyperventilating and this will help."

I did as she instructed but my panic was so far gone I didn't think it was helping.

"It's okay honey," she patted my back, "just keep breathing. This happens to me when I fly. It takes a little while before it starts to work."

She started talking to Pearce again and then she looked at me and said, "Your boyfriend should be here any minute honey. Just keep taking those deep breaths."

I wanted to scream that it wasn't working because I felt like everything was turning gray and my face was going numb. Realistically, I knew I couldn't die from this, but at that time, I felt like I was hanging on the precipice of death.

I heard wheels screeching and suddenly my door flew open and there he stood in the flesh, all six feet two inches of him.

"Breathe baby. Deep breaths. Slow. Follow me. Inhale to the count of four, three, two, one. Exhale, four, three, two, one. Let's do it again."

He rubbed my arms and then put his hands on my face. Eventually things started to even out for me. He could see it in my eyes because he pulled the bag out of my hands and unbuckled me from my seat. The next thing I knew I was sitting in his lap, crying and shaking.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I've got you now."

I heard his voice talking to the woman who saved me, thanking her profusely. Then his attention was focused on me again. He kept running his hand through my hair, pushing it off of my face. The tears finally ebbed, leaving me feeling like a limp noodle sitting in his lap.

"Christ, Alexia, you gave me a fucking heart attack. Shit! What the hell happened?"

Where the fuck to begin with this one?

I started rubbing my arm where that asshat had grabbed me and noticed then that bruises were forming. He noticed it too.

"What's this? What happened? Tell me now Alexia because this not knowing stuff is so not going over very well for me."

So I told him...the whole fucking sordid tale. I cried some more and then felt like the dirty whore I was.

"This is why I didn't want to get involved with you. I knew somehow that my past would catch up with me. I'm dirty Pearce. I'm no better than a fucking whore."

"Stop it Alexia. Stop it right now. I won't have you belittle yourself like that. You did things that were unacceptable to you. You made mistakes. Would you do those things now?"

"No!"

"Then stop comparing yourself to a whore. You're not a whore and I won't stand for you calling yourself that. Are we clear?"

"Yes," I murmured as I hung my head.

"Look at me Alexia."

I did as he asked.

"This changes nothing between us. I'm here and I love the fuck out of you. I want to beat the shit out of the bastard that broke you down just now. I told you...I'm not going anywhere and I meant it. Now kiss me before I go crazy here with you on my lap."

I kissed him, lightly.

"Is that all you got for me? You almost gave me a fucking MI!"

"What's an MI?"

He let out a snort. "A myocardial infarction. The medical term for a heart attack. I almost crashed the 911 getting here."

"The 911. You called 911?"

"No...my car...my 911."

"Oh!" I laughed. Then I kissed him with everything I had, running my hands all over him and just about losing myself totally to him...that is until I heard some smart ass yell, "Get a room!"

"Fuck Lex."

"You called me Lex. You don't ever call me Lex."

"I know. Because your name is so fucking beautiful...just like you."

We just sat there staring at each other like two idiots.

"I think I need to get to work. I'm super late as it is."

"You okay to drive?"

"Yeah. I'm good now."

"I don't want you to leave."

"I don't want to leave, but I don't want to get fired either."

"I'll take care of you Alexia. You don't have to work."

"Yes, I do, Pearce. It's gives me self worth."

"Can I tell you something?"

"Yeah."

"So you'll stop hating yourself so much."

"What?"

"I've slept with a lot of women Alexia."

"I pretty much had that figured out."

"You're okay with that?" He looked totally shocked.

"I mean, look at you Pearce. If there were an entry for 'male perfection' in the Webster's Dictionary, they'd have a picture of you. I'm sure when you were in high school and college you had girls crawling all over you for your attention. And now that you're a doctor...hell, I'm no fool. I didn't take you for a monk."

"Well, I wasn't a monk and that's the truth. But can I ask you something?"

"Sure?"

"Why is it such a terrible thing for you because you slept with a lot of men, and you were either drunk or drugged out when you did it and it's not for me when most of the time I was sober?"

"Good question."

"I think you operate under a double standard, my backwards and archaic girlfriend. I'm not saying it's okay to have indiscriminate sex, but what I am saying is get over this already and move on. You fucked up and you learned. I did the same thing. Let's forgive ourselves and love each other. Okay?"

"I'll make you a promise. I'll do my best to try my hardest. I'm sure I won't be able to shed this very easily so please be patient with me. I don't know what I ever did to deserve you though."

"That makes two of us. Now kiss me good-bye and get your ass to work."

"Yes sir!"
CHAPTER TWELVE

Work flew by because by the time I got there I was so far behind I didn't have time to breathe. It's a good thing I'd hyperventilated earlier. Now I was finding it hard to find time to get a breath in at all.

It was six thirty before I was making my way back downtown. My phone rang en route and it was Pearce checking on me.

"Is pizza good for you for dinner?"

"Perfect."

"My house or yours."

"Mine. I need to get out of these clothes."

"Okay, I'll see you there in twenty. Is that cool?"

"Very cool."

Ten minutes later I walked into a very dark house and for the first time it really gave me the creeps. I felt along the wall but the lights wouldn't come on. I flipped both the inside and outside switches and they were both dead. A sense of dread came over me and I was reminded of my clash with Beavis. Then the incident of my abduction came crashing down on me and I started to wonder if they were connected. I ran out of the carriage house and punched the remote button on my car door, thankful for the illumination of the headlights. I climbed inside the car and sat there trembling.

A few minutes passed when I heard the purring of Pearce's Porsche as it pulled into my driveway.

I bolted out of my car and straight into his arms.

"What happened?"

I was shaking, but I wasn't in a panic attack.

"My lights in the house. They wouldn't come on. Inside or out. It freaked me out because they've never done that before. I'm scared Pearce. I started thinking about that incident on the bridge and then I started wondering if that guy had anything to do with my abduction."

"Okay, babe. Let's get a flashlight from Lisbeth. Come on."

"I have one in my car." I still carried the spotlight with me.

"Okay, but let's get another one from Lisbeth."

"Should we call the police?"

"For what? Lights that are out?"

I giggled. "Yeah, that's just the kind of emergency calls they want to get, right?"

We headed over the Lisbeth's and grabbed a couple more flashlights. When we got back to my place, Pearce made a sweep through the house and all the lights were out. The circuits were broken on everything meaning the master switch had been thrown. That could only have been done on the outside so he flipped it back on and everything lit up.

We went back to Lisbeth's to ask if anyone had been by the carriage house today and she said no. Now I was really worried. I decided I couldn't stay there so I packed a bag and we headed over to Pearce's. Lisbeth was going to have an alarm installed in the carriage house the next day and a lock placed on the breaker box. She was also going to install an electric security gate in the driveway. We called the police to inform them what happened, just so they could have a record of it.

"What I don't understand is why do they want to hurt me? I didn't do anything to them!"

"Listen sweetheart, some people are just crazy."

"But if the two incidents are connected, why didn't they come for me sooner?"

"I don't think they are connected. I just think Beavis is pissed off at you and he wants to scare you."

"Well he's doing a pretty damn good job of it."

"Can you get off work tomorrow for a little bit?"

"I can try. Why?"

"I want to buy you a gun."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, absolutely. And I'm going to enroll you in a private Concealed Weapons class. I want you to carry all the time."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

"Here I was expecting all sorts of pushback from you and you were a pushover."

"I'm scared Pearce. If carrying a concealed weapon will save my life or yours, then I'm all for it."

"I want you to understand something Alexia. If you do this, you have to be prepared to shoot someone. And I mean shoot to kill. Can you honestly say you can do that?"

"Pearce, when I was bound, gagged and duct taped, I thought I was going to die. I kept trying to come up with ways to beat those fuckers that had me. The only thing that saved me was their stupidity and drunkenness. If I would have had a gun, I wouldn't have hesitated to use it on any of them in that room. They were getting ready to rape me."

"Shit Alexia. You never told me all of this."

"I didn't really know you back then. But yeah, I would use a weapon and I would kill with it."

"Okay, I just needed to know."

He stuck the pizza in the oven because it was now like ice and he heated it back up. I carried my stuff up to his bedroom and hung up my work clothes in his closet. I went to the bathroom and scrubbed my face and brushed my teeth. Then I put on a comfy pair of yoga pants and a long sleeved shirt and went back downstairs.

He was waiting with a glass of wine in the living room for me. He patted the seat next to him, and curled up by his side as he handed me my wine.

"What a day!" I said.

"I know, right?"

"Are you working tomorrow?"

"Yeah, but regular hours. No call. I want you to stay here until everything is secure at Lisbeth's. Well, if the truth be known, I want you to move in with me."

It was the way he said it that made my heart thump and butterflies flutter in my stomach.

"You're serious, aren't you."

"One hundred percent. I need to clue you in on something about me. I've always been a great judge of character Alexia. Not just good, great. And so has Lisbeth. That's one thing my grandmother always said about her. Anyway, I'm not wrong about you. You are loyal, honorable and would do anything for someone you love. You're kind, considerate, hard working, you have great integrity and you're honest. The bottom line is I love you. I'm thirty five years old, financially secure and have been around the block a hundred times. I thought I was in love a time or two but it never turned out to be the real thing. What I have with you is definitely the real thing Alexia. I'm not changing my mind. Like I said before, we can waddle in the water and wade around, but I'm not going anywhere."

I launched myself into his arms and almost mauled him.

"Pinch me."

"What?"

"Pinch me," I told him again. "I want to make sure this isn't some bizarre dream."

"Oh it's not a dream."

"Good. You know what my answer's going to be. I can't do this yet. But that doesn't mean it won't happen in the near future. The other thing is you have to meet Terri. I can't do anything without her permission anyway."

"You're kidding."

"Nope. She's my rock and eventually when I move in here, I have to have her blessing."

"Women. You all are nuts. You know that, right?"

"Absolutely not. We stick together and support each other. She's my only family."

"Excuse me. What am I? I'm your lover and I want to be your husband. Isn't that family?"

"I suppose it is."

I leaned against him and slid my hand beneath his shirt. I loved the way his skin felt.

"Oh, by the way, we're having New Year's dinner with my family."

I stiffened and almost choked on my wine.

"Huh?"

"I'm dying for them to meet you."

"Shit Pearce." The air from my lungs made a whistling sound as it exploded through my teeth.

"You'll love them and they'll love you."

"I don't think so. I'm on a completely different level from you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

I just looked at him.

He ran his hand through his hair and rubbed his eyes.

"Alexia, we're both people. My family doesn't judge people because of their financial status."

"I have no financial status. I'm dirt poor. I have five hundred dollars in my checking account until my next paycheck and that's my financial status. You have a home, and a yacht and an expensive car and God only knows what else. So I go to your family's for dinner and they'll ask me what I do for a living and I'll tell them I have some menial job working for a software company. And then they'll ask me about my family and I'll tell them that my family doesn't give a rat's ass about me. And then how much will they like your new girlfriend Pearce?"

"Are you quite through?" His voice was steely which jerked me to attention.

"Yes."

"Then may I speak?" he asked in that same steely voice.

"Yes."

"You seem so quick to judge my family. No Alexia, it's true. You seem to think it's okay for you to make comments like that, but you haven't even met them. You don't know the first thing about my family. Yes, they have money. A lot of it. Old family money. I was fortunate to be born into wealth, unlike you. So does that make me a bad person? My mother wasn't. She met my father while working as a nurse's aide at the hospital. He was an intern at the time. They fell in love and were married within three months. Her family were paper mill workers. She didn't even have five hundred dollars to her name when she got married. So don't tell me they wouldn't accept you because of your lack of wealth or status. I wasn't raised like that. And I hope to God if you and I ever have children, you don't bring them up that way."

He stood up and walked away and I felt like a piece of crap. I was so torn over everything. I was so in love with him but I had this thing about us needing more time to get to know each other. He was cool about that, but I would love to be with him every night too. I would have to make a choice. I also needed to get a grip on me. I had no confidence in myself. I really was a head case. It's a wonder he wanted anything at all to do with me. Hell, I wouldn't blame him if he told me to get the hell out of his life tonight.

Wow, his mom was poor like me. He was right. I did make assumptions about people. I did judge his family and I was wrong to do so. What a shit I was.

I got up and walked into the kitchen and he was putting the pizza on plates. I had totally forgotten about the pizza.

"I'm really sorry."

"Alexia, don't say it unless you mean it."

"I do mean it. It was wrong of me to say those things."

He looked at me, his eyes drilling into mine and finally he nodded. "You have to let go of that inferiority thing you have going on. It's a real buzz kill and you have nothing to feel that way over. Don't pull old baggage out either. That shit is burned up and the ashes have been dumped in the harbor. You have unresolved issues with some shit parents you have...I get that part. But my family shouldn't suffer because of that. You love Lisbeth and she loves you. If you think she's great, you'll love my family even more."

I don't know why, but my eyes had teared up and the damn things were making a freakin' mess on my face. I didn't want him to see because I wanted to be strong...to be the kind of girl he could be proud of and not some stupid mewling fool. So I turned my head and quickly wiped my cheeks.

He walked around the island and pulled me against him.

"You don't have to hide your tears, you know."

"I don't want to be weak. I want to be someone you can be proud of."

"I am proud of you. Just the way you are. What I want is for you to be proud of yourself." He just held me to him, and rubbed my back.

"Come on honey, let's eat before I have to heat this thing up again and it turns into a part of the box."
CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Because it was the holidays, it took the rest of the week before all the security could be set up at Lisbeth's. That meant I stayed with Pearce until after New Year's Day. Since Thursday night was New Year's Eve, I stayed with him then too.

Pearce told me to pack an overnight bag, and to bring warm casual clothes. We weren't going to any big party or fancy restaurants, but we were spending the night alone.

So late on Thursday, I arrived at his house after work with my bag ready to go and we headed out. When we got to the City Marina, I had a good idea of what we were going to do. He looked at me and grinned.

We boarded the TSCSC...well, he actually carried me on board. Jack was already there, along with a chef, who would be serving our dinner that night.

We were underway in no time and headed out into the harbor. Pearce wanted to make sure we were anchored in a good spot so we could watch the fireworks show at midnight. We would be spending the night on the boat, but Jack and the chef would take the dingy back to the marina. Pearce would drive the yacht back in the morning.

It was a beautiful night with a gazillion stars twinkling in the sky. The moon was reflected over the water and we sat in the enclosed upper deck eating our intimate dinner by candlelight. The chef served grilled lobster tails, which melted in your mouth and a creamy tomato bisque as a starter. The meal was exquisite.

"You're perfect tonight Alexia." Pearce reached over and caressed my cheek. "I could stare at you endlessly. I love to watch you eat. You savor every bite."

"No, that's not true. I only savor the good stuff, and you always feed me the good stuff." I smiled.

He moved his hand across the table and ran his thumb over my bottom lip. Then he took a hold of my hand, gave it a gentle tug and said, "Come over here sweetheart. I've looked at you long enough without touching you."

I found myself in his lap being thoroughly kissed by him. Pearce knew how to kiss. I always came to life in his arms and when he started moving his mouth over mine, entangling his tongue around mine, well, I just couldn't think coherently anymore.

"Mmm, I love the little noises you make. You're so damn sexy Alexia." He moved his tongue down my neck and I sucked in my breath. It always excited me when he did that. He knew exactly where to touch me to send me into a tailspin.

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?" he asked.

"Turn me on so much?"

He snorted. "Alexia, honey, if you only knew what you do to me."

I took his face and held it between the palm of my hands and said, "Tell me Pearce. Please tell me, because you make me burn for you."

His voice turned husky and he said, "It started from the very first time I looked at you and it hasn't stopped. It's only intensified. Now that I know the secrets of your body, I can't seem to get enough. Every part of you I want as mine. Your mouth is magnificent. I love to watch you talk, the way your lips move as your mouth forms words. I almost lose it when you stick your tongue out to moisten your lips. I love to watch you eat. I sometimes wake up at night and watch you sleep. You're so beautiful Alexia. When we're loving each other and you arch your back in pleasure, I want to imprint that picture of you in my mind forever. But what I love the most is when I tell you to open your eyes and look at me when you come. I see what's reflected in their depths. You can't hide that from me. You try to hide a lot Alexia, but your love comes shining through at that very moment. It's there and it's only for me." By the time he finished, his lips were on mine and he was talking against my mouth. Then he started kissing me with all the love he felt for me and the warmth that usually filled my heart had turned into a flaming inferno. Nothing had ever touched me like this and I couldn't stop the wave of emotions that rushed over me..

"Don't cry. I didn't mean to make you cry," he said as he felt the moisture of my tears against his face.

"I'm crying because I've never felt so loved before."

I kissed him again and we sat there together, me on his lap, just making out like two teenagers. My hands were on his steely abs, feeling them ripple and his were all over my body. But neither of us made a move to take this any further. We were just exploring each other like two kids, lost in our emotions.

Later that night we watched the fireworks from the top deck as we toasted the new year and then we went to the state room and did our own kind of ringing in the New Year.

********

The next morning we left the boat and went back to Pearce's so we could shower and change to go to his parent's for the New Year's Day celebration. The guys would be watching football but I had no idea what would be expected of me. I was so nervous, my stomach was doing a gymnastics routine on the uneven bars. I doubted I would be able to eat a bite of anything.

"You look perfect," Pearce said as I came down the stairs, dressed and ready to go. I had on a plain black dress and black tights with black boots. Nothing special because I didn't have anything special in the clothing department.

I gave him a half-smile.

"What? You don't believe me?"

I shrugged.

"Sweetheart, you could be dressed in rags, and you'd look great."

"Well that's good because that's about what my wardrobe consists of."

"Alexia, stop it. It does not."

"Yes Pearce, it does. I have to buy my clothes from consignment shops and sometimes I even go to Goodwill. The one over on Savannah Highway has some good things on occasion. Terri told me about that." I was being an ass and he didn't deserve it.

"Would you like for me to take you shopping? We can do that if it would make you feel better. But honestly, I don't think you could look any better than you do right now."

I knew he was being honest with me, and he did make me feel better. I suppose I was more worried about what his mother and sister would think of my attire.

"No, but you're very kind to offer that." I walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek and he hugged me right back. "Let's go," I said.

He took my hand and off we went. His parents also lived downtown, but they lived too far to walk...or that's what Pearce said anyway. When we pulled up to their house, I almost started hyperventilating.

They lived on Murray Boulevard, right on the battery, overlooking the Charleston harbor. It was one of the grandest homes on the peninsula. My hands started shaking and dripping with sweat.

"I know what you're thinking, but please don't." He got out of the car and walked around to open my door. When he reached for my hand, I moved it away from him so I could wipe it on my leggings first.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly as I put my hand in his.

"Honey," he said as he brushed my hair back from my face, "I would never put you in a situation that made you feel uncomfortable. They're really excited to meet you. Especially Gran. Lisbeth has bragged so much about you she's acting like a kid getting ready for a play date."

I laughed a little at that.

We walked to the back entrance. You couldn't really call it a door because it was quite grand. It had a porte-cochere that we parked under. The door opened into an entryway where there were two servants waiting to take our coats, except we hadn't worn any.

Pearce hugged one of the women and introduced me to both of them. The first one, Betty, had worked for the Middleton's ever since Pearce was three years old. She was extremely pleasant and I briefly wondered if maybe I could hang out with her for the day. No luck on that one because Pearce moved me right along, past the ginormous kitchen and down the hall where I could hear lots of booming voices. We finally reached our destination, but my mind was overwhelmed by the exquisiteness of this mansion I was seeing.

"Did you grow up here?" I asked softly.

"I did," he answered as he watched me closely.

"What was it like?" I was caught in the dream like quality of my surroundings. It was indescribable. Beautiful antiques that were no doubt priceless and I'm sure dated back to the 1700's; paintings of what looked like the original Middleton's that settled Charleston and artifacts that cost more than I would make in my lifetime. The thing about it all was that they fit in perfectly and didn't look stiff like most mansions you would expect to be. This place looked comfortable...like Pearce's home.

"It was my home. That's all I can say," he said with a smile.

"I can tell. It's perfectly gorgeous, but yet it's inviting."

"You really think so?"

"I do."

We were interrupted by a loud voice calling out, "Are you two going to join us or are you just going to stand out there all day?"

We looked over to the source and it was a man who looked very similar to Pearce, but perhaps a bit younger. Pearce shook his head and whispered to me, but loud enough for the other man to hear, "Ignore him Alexia. He's nothing but a pain in the ass brother of mine."

Then everyone was laughing and we were surrounded by his family...him mom and dad, two brothers and his sister. Pearce was right. They made me feel perfectly welcome and I totally forgot that I had ever been nervous.

We were pulled into the living room, where a giant flat screen was playing one of the many football games we'd be watching that day. I was handed a Bloody Mary and a tray of appetizers was passed around and everyone was conversing about this and that.

Pearce had me tucked into his side, with his arm around me the entire time. One of his brothers, Justin, who was two years younger, cracked a joke about it.

"Jus, if you had a girl that looked like Alexia, would you let go of her for a second?"

"Not a chance," was Justin's reply.

My face grew super hot as I blushed furiously.

Pearce's mom, Susan, winked at me. His dad, Henry, laughed and said, "That's right. That's exactly how it was when I met your mother. Isn't that right Susan?"

"Eww! Dad! We don't want to hear about that!" Pearce's sister, Ava, exclaimed.

"Ava, it's a beautiful story. I wasn't going to tell any deep secrets. I was just going to say that she was the most beautiful girl in the world and I wouldn't let her out of my sight for anything. That's why I asked her to marry her after knowing her for only three days."

"That's right," Susan said. "My parents were not happy, but they got used to it after they met Henry and the rest is history."

As I looked around the room I noticed how much all the guys in the family looked like their father, who was dark haired and gray eyed like Pearce (except Henry's was peppered with silver now), while Ava looked exactly like Susan, who was blond. They were all exceptionally attractive, but Pearce stood out in my eyes.

Susan came over to me and asked me if I'd like a tour of the house. I felt Pearce give me a gentle squeeze as I got up to follow her. We went from one beautiful room to the next and I just followed her with my mouth hanging open like an idiot. I could hear my mother saying how I'd be catching flies if she could see me. It was almost impossible to take it all in.

After we completed the tour of the main level, we headed for the huge stair case. When we reached the top Susan stopped and grabbed both of my hands. "I know this whole place can be quite intimidating the first time around, but I hope you don't feel that way. It's just an old pile of bricks Alexia. We've tried to instill that in our kids. I come from pretty humble roots myself. My folks are from North Charleston and my daddy worked for Westvaco in the paper mill all his life. I hope you can feel at home here." Then she smiled at me and I felt the weight lift off my shoulders.

I smiled back at her and squeezed her hands. "Thank you Susan. You've made me feel so welcome here. Pearce told me about how you and Henry met, but I'll admit I was still really nervous about coming here. I envy your family and how close you all are."

"Thanks. I wish you had that with your family. Pearce didn't say much to me, but he did say you didn't have much of a relationship with them. Honey, I'm sorry for you. I don't know what I'd do without my kids. I could never let them go."

I gave her a watery smile. I wished my parents felt that way about me, but that wasn't going to happen. I shrugged and said, "Something happened between us that they blame me for and maybe it's justified but I didn't do it on purpose. It was an accident, but they don't see it that way. So they decided to turn their backs on me. I've learned to deal with it though. I won't say it doesn't hurt, especially on holidays and my birthday. But there isn't anything I can do about it so I've just moved on."

She nodded in understanding and then hooked her arm through mine and showed me the rest of the house. When we made our way up to the widow's walk, which was much bigger than Pearce's, she told me how much she loved it up here. It was an incredible view of the Charleston harbor. You could see the Sullivan's Island lighthouse, Fort Sumter and Castle Pinckney. We lucked out on the weather again so the sky was a flawless blue and the water sparkled like crazy. I even spotted some dolphins in the distance.

"That grin on your face is priceless. I'm going to have to get Pearce to bring you up here more often."

Her words brought me back to Earth and I giggled. "Sorry, I was just so..."

"Oh honey, don't be sorry. I know what I was like the first time Avery brought me up here."

"Avery?"

"Avery Miles Middleton. That would be my mother-in-law. You'll meet her shortly. She doesn't usually come down until early afternoon."

"Come down?"

"Yes, honey. She claims it's age, but she's as sharp as a tack and don't let her fool you."

I laughed and we went back down to join the rest of the family.

Betty brought in more trays of all sorts of appetizers and another round of drinks appeared. This time they were Bellinis. They were delicious. We toasted and then Justin and Andrew, Pearce's youngest brother and I started talking about my job.

"So how are you liking working at MedSoft?"

"It's really good. I'm working on a proposal right now for the Greenville Hospital System. They're looking into switching their entire software when all their physician offices go to electronic medical records."

Pearce looked at me and said, "Wow Alexia. You didn't mention this. That's great news."

"Yeah, I guess I sort of forgot."

"Damn, Pearce, I wonder why," Justin ribbed him. "You probably can't keep your hands to yourself long enough for her to tell you anything. Am I right Alexia?"

My face really burned with heat this time. "I...I...well, maybe a little," I stammered.

I looked at Pearce for help, but he was laughing.

Then Ava yelled out to me that I just needed to ignore the boys because they were totally obnoxious all the time.

Suddenly the doorbell rang and I heard this high pitched voice. It reminded me of nails on a chalkboard. Everyone looked around and the room became dead silent. I wondered what was going on when this tall, stick thin, gorgeous red head waltzed into the room. Dressed in high fashion, and I mean designer stuff from her Christian Louboutin stilettos, her Louis Vuitton handbag and her D&G jacket, she looked fabulous. I felt like the poor church mouse in comparison.

Then she headed straight for Pearce. It didn't matter that he had his arm around me. She bulldozed into him and pushed him backward, threw her arms around him and kissed him soundly on the mouth. And not just for a second, or two or three. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they broke apart, while he was still trying to pull me back into him by my hand. Then she screeched out in that godforsaken banshee voice, "Why Pearce darling, it's been far too long! I just got in from Milan. It is so good to see you. Now you know the two of us just have to spend some time together while I'm here. I'll be staying at my parents for the next two weeks. Maybe we can rekindle our flame, darling. Remember those days? We had some good times didn't we?" Then the banshee had the audacity to rub herself against him.

I stood there and tapped my foot against the floor, waiting for Pearce to say something...anything...to whoever the hell this she-demon was. If he didn't, I was going to rip that red hair right out of her fucking scalp.

I suddenly felt an arm go around me and looked to my left. Justin was standing there, grinning. I wished someone would tell me what the hell was going on here.

"Why hello Carmody. Nice of you to bust right in here," Justin said.

Banshee Carmody looked over at Justin and smiled. It was more like a grimace. Now that I had the chance to examine her closely, I was thinking she was looking more like a Gremlin...and I'm talking about Stripe, not Gizmo. Yeah, I'm pretty sure her teeth were pointy.

"Well hello Justin. Is that your girlfriend?" she sneered.

"Um no, it's not. As a matter of fact, it's Pearce's girlfriend."

I looked at Pearce and he was trying his hardest not to laugh. There was something fishy going on here, but I still didn't like the way Banshee Carmody Stripe was leering at my guy. She looked like she wanted to eat him for dinner and by the looks of that greeting she gave him, she nearly did.

She looked at Pearce and then at me. Then she started to laugh. "You've got to be kidding me!" she exclaimed. "Why Pearce, I always took you for a man of good taste."

"Thank you Carmody. I believe I do have good taste. In fact, Alexia is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Pearce finally shrugged free of Banshee Carmody Stripe's arm and pulled me into him.

"Thank you Pearce. But I wish you'd stop telling me that a hundred times a day."

"But why sweetheart? It's true and it's the way I feel." Then he ran his hand down my cheek and leaned in and whispered, "She a fucking bitch and I hate that she's here. I'm so sorry you had to witness that display of nastiness. As soon as I can, I'm going to brush my teeth."

I burst out in a fit of laughter. Everyone looked at me and I could tell they wanted to laugh too but the banshee was getting really pissed by now.

"So Pearce, aren't you going to invite me in?"

"Sure Carmody, whatever."

Then he turned to me and said, "Come on babe," and he tugged me away from that awful scene.

We hurried up the steps and he pulled me into his old bedroom. True to his word, he went straight to the bathroom and brushed the hell out of his teeth.

"Dern Pearce, you're going to scrub the enamel off if you're not careful."

"Ugh, I almost gagged when she put her mouth on mine."

"Pearce, did you ever sleep with her?"

He stopped dead in his tracks and his face went white.

"Yes, I did," he admitted. "It was a long time ago. I didn't think she was so disgusting then. I'm sorry Alexia."

"Don't be. It happened before us. I just wanted to know because she'll throw that at me one day. At least now I'll be prepared. Is she one of the girls you thought you might love?"

"No! Never her. We grew up together but the older she got, the more pretentious she became. Just like her mother. I'm really sorry."

"It's not your fault honey. Don't worry about it. I could tell your family was not happy about her arrival."

He told me how they all disliked her. We sat in his room while he explained how she and Justin despised each other so he knew if Justin insulted her enough, she'd leave. Sure enough, by the time we went back downstairs, she was gone.

We were all standing around talking when a voice from the doorway said, "Thank God that annoying screech owl decided to take her leave. What in the world possessed that nettlesome creature to decide to torture us on this lovely day?"

Everyone howled with laughter.

Pearce leaned into me and quietly said, "Leave it to Gran."

"And Pearce, I am so thankful to our good Lord above that He has finally bestowed better judgement upon you where women are concerned."

I laughed really hard and Pearce actually had the good graces to blush.

"I would have to agree with you Gran," he said as he walked over to escort her into the room. He brought her directly to me and said, "Gran, I would love to introduce you to someone very special."

"I already know who she is honey." Turning to me she said, "Alexia, I am so pleased to make your acquaintance. I have heard so much about you from Lisbeth. She talks incessantly about you. Now do me a favor honey. Please let us make our own gossip so I have something to brag to Lisbeth about!"

Pearce was quick on his feet with this one, but I wasn't quite ready for him to say this out loud. "Well Gran, you can tell Lisbeth you heard this here first. You can tell her that Alexia and I are in love."

I almost fell through the floor. I had just taken a sip of my Bellini and instantly started to sputter.

"Oh lawd, Pearce, are you trying to declare your love and intentions or are you trying to kill the poor child?" Avery asked.

Pearce had already grabbed my glass out of my hand and patted my back asking me if I was okay. I was still sputtering, trying to recover from a combination of choking and embarrassment.

"Pearce, where are your manners? Will you escort the girl away from here so she can collect herself? I declare!"

Avery glared at Pearce as he almost dragged me out of the room and into a smaller sitting room across the hall. He closed the door behind him, sat down and pulled me onto his lap.

"Shit, shit, shit! I'm sorry Alexia. I don't know what I was thinking."

I finally recovered from the choking spell and looked at him. He was really concerned about the whole incident, which when I put it all into perspective was just damn funny.

I grabbed his shirt and laid the biggest kiss on him the man had ever seen. His arms went around me and he leaned me over and began kissing me back. My hands were in his hair, on his back, hell all over him. He was so damn sexy and the way he just blurted out to his family that he loved me...well, how could I not just go all crazy for him.

I finally pulled back from him and said, "Thank you Pearce. For loving me and for not being afraid to say it out loud." I looked down at my hands, which were clenching his shirt and then I cleared my throat. "I've never felt loved the way I do with you so thank you for that but what I really want you to know is that I love you more than I can say. I don't know how or why this all happened, and I still can hardly believe it has, but I'm really glad you came into my life."

"Babe, you just made me the happiest man alive."

"I think we need to go back to the party."

"Yeah, because if we don't, I can't promise I'll behave here." He kissed the top of my head and we headed back to the rest of the family.

We were kidded mercilessly by everyone, including Avery, but we just laughed. Dinner was excellent. Betty cooked the traditional New Year's Day meal of roast pork, hoppin' john, collards, cornbread, and everything else you can possibly imagine. Right when dessert was being served, a cell phone started ringing and a text alarm went off. I looked at Pearce because I didn't think he was on call.

"It's not mine sweetheart. But you're surrounded by a bunch of docs. Whose is it?"

"It's mine," said Justin. "I gotta go. Looks like a femur."

Pearce looked at me and said, "He's an orthopedic surgeon."

"Oh."

Then he added, "Andrew's in his third year of his ENT residency."

"Oh," I said again, nodding and smiling. Nothing like being in the midst of a bunch of brainiacs.

Pearce's hand reached for mine under the table and I latched on to his. I found it gave me strength when I felt insecure about myself. He laced his fingers with mine and settled our hands on my lap.

Justin said his good-byes and quickly left. After dinner was finished, we hung out a little longer with the family and then headed home. I was getting sleepy from the combination of alcohol and too much food. I dragged my rear end up the stairs and we both got ready for bed. I dreaded having to get up in the morning, but I was also excited about the prospect of the potential business ahead of me.

We crawled into bed and Pearce turned on the TV. He found a sappy movie for us to watch, even though I figured it was the last thing he wanted to do. He pulled out his iPad and started reading.

"Is this too awful for you?"

"No, it's not that at all. I just have to catch up on some journal reading." He showed me his iPad and it was opened to some article in The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. There was a picture of a man with a giant pole jammed through his midsection.

"Oh hell! Is this the kind of stuff you do?" I wanted to hurl just looking at the picture.

"Yeah," he said, very nonchalantly, still reading.

I shut the TV off and turned to look at him. "Are you serious. I mean do you really see that kind of stuff?"

"Uh huh. Usually accident victims. This was unusual...this pole flew off the back of a truck and came through this guy's windshield. He was in the passenger seat of a van and the seat was pulled back as far as possible. If he'd been in a car, he'd be dead. That pole would've hit him in the head."

"Shit Pearce. What do you do when something like this comes in?"

"The team puts the patient back together babe. It's our job."

I picked up his hands and started to look at them...I mean really look at them. I ran my fingers up and down each of his fingers and turned them this way and that. He sat there, and just watched me with a puzzled look on his face. When I was done looking, I brought his hands to my lips and kissed them. He was still looking at me with an odd expression.

I finally spoke, "You heal people Pearce. Your hands are a gift from God. Not everyone can do something like this. You're special, and I'm not just saying this because I love the hell out of you. You are truly gifted."

"I don't think of it..."

"I do and so do those people you save. I feel so awed by what you do. I had no idea. I thought you just sewed people up or something. Really. And to think you can save someone like this."

"Alexia, I can't save everyone. All the stars have to be aligned for someone like this to survive."

"Maybe so. But if this person didn't have a trauma surgeon like yourself, he never would've survived. End of story."

I didn't want to let go of his hands. I just sat there holding them, wanting to feel the life in them forever.

He leaned over and kissed me, but I still wouldn't release his hands. I felt his chest jiggling and heard the deep rumble of his laughter. "You ever gonna let 'em go sweetheart, 'cause if you don't, it's gonna be awfully hard to work?"

I died laughing then.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The next week of work had me busting it. I worked on that proposal for the Greenville Hospital System and I finally presented it to my boss on Friday. He was totally impressed. He loved the way I was able to integrate the reasons for switching to MedSoft, not just for the physician's offices, but for the main hospital and all the other affiliated hospitals as well. He told me he wanted me to accompany him to Greenville the week after next to help pitch to deal to the hospital administration.

I was super psyched when I got home from work. I was still staying at Pearce's because there was an issue with getting the security gate installed at my carriage house. Pearce begged me to move in with him and though it was tempting, I said no.

I walked in with my arms full and he was already home. He helped me unload, as I had made a quick stop at the grocery store on the way home.

As soon as everything was put away, I told him the news about my proposal.

"Well, this calls for a celebration! Where would you like to go?"

"You pick." I was never comfortable choosing a restaurant.

"Do you have anything going on this weekend?" he asked.

"We're supposed to start that concealed weapons class."

"I'll get that changed. Go pack a weekend bag. You won't need much. Bring one dress and the rest casual."

He walked out of the room with a big grin on his face that left me wondering what he was up to.

Thirty minutes later we were in his car, headed up the interstate, but he wouldn't give a clue as to where. When we took the airport exit, I began to get suspicious.

"Are we flying somewhere?"

He just looked at me and gave me one of his sexy smiles.

Then he threw me off because he didn't pull into the main airport entrance, but kept driving. When he finally turned off Airport Road, I had no idea where he was. I knew we were at the airport, but we were on the backside of it. Then we went through a big gate and he showed his ID. They asked for mine and I took out my driver's license. After a couple of minutes, we were allowed to proceed. He drove around until we came to one of those huge hangars. There was a small jet sitting out in front of it. A man ran out to meet us and Pearce got out of the car and came around to help me out.

"Dr. Middleton, it's good to see you sir."

"Hi Jerry. Thanks for coming on such short notice. This is Alexia."

"Hello Ma'am."

I shook his hand and Pearce guided me toward the jet.

"Are you serious? Is this your plane?"

"No, it's the Middleton Enterprise G5."

"What's a G5?"

"A Gulfstream 5. It's a jet Alexia."

"I know that Pearce."

"It's just the type of jet sweetheart."

"Oh." I just realized that I said that a lot when I was with him. I needed to find a new word for 'Oh.'

"I didn't know you had one of these."

He stopped and turned to me. "Honey, it's not mine. It's the company's. I was just lucky it wasn't in use this weekend. Now, shall I carry you on board, because I'm certainly not opposed to that?"

"No, I can walk."

I mounted the stairs and the pilot greeted us as we entered.

"Dr. Middleton, welcome aboard."

"Thanks Mitch. This is Alexia."

We exchanged greetings and the flight attendant asked if we wanted drinks. Pearce ordered champagne from him and he popped the cork on a bottle of Cristal. We toasted as the plane took off.

The jet was pure luxury. There were reclining seats clustered around tables and a cabin in the back with a bed and bath. It was unreal.

"Do you fly in this often?"

"Yes, if the family goes on a trip together, we usually take this. For conferences I don't use it. I'll confess, you get spoiled because it's much faster. No lines and baggage issues. We all ski so it's much easier to use this than a commercial airline.

"No doubt. I can see why. Now will you pinch me?"

He just laughed.

"Um, so Pearce, where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

About an hour later I could tell by the way my ears started to pop that we were descending. It didn't take long after that for the plane to come to a stop.

After the flight attendant opened the door, we were greeted at the stairs by someone informing us our rental car was here. I looked outside, but it was dark, so I still didn't know where we were.

Pearce got me settled in the Mercedes rental and then we were off. When we got on the interstate, I knew we were in Asheville, North Carolina.

"Aha! Asheville," I called out.

He laughed, and then asked, "But do you know where we're staying?"

"No clue."

So we drove and I had no idea until we pulled into the valet area in front of the huge stone structure of The Grove Park Inn.

I grinned. I'd always wanted to come to this place but I didn't think I'd ever stay here. It was way out of my league. My hopes were always to come and walk through the place and catch the views. Now, here I was, staying as a guest.

Pearce checked us in and we were ushered up to our amazing suite. He ordered room service and we both undressed and put on the robes hanging in the closet. He uncorked a bottle of wine that was in the refrigerator and poured us each a glass.

"To my lovely Alexia and her success next week in Greenville. May she get the deal!"

We clinked glasses and sipped our wine. Our food arrived and it was extremely good. When we finished, Pearce said in a hoarse voice, "Alexia, take off that robe. I've been thinking about your naked body all day and I don't think I can't stand it another minute."

I slipped off the robe and let it puddle around my feet. I stood there for a minute. His eyes had that look of raw emotion in them.

"Don't move."

He came to me then. He kissed me and my body heated up with fire. He swept his tongue across my lips and kissed the corner of my mouth. Bending his head, he started sucking on my earlobe. He ran his tongue around the shell of my ear and when he came back to my lobe, he began a light waltz down my neck. I was moaning by this time, my hands on his shoulders, squeezing tightly.

He took his tongue and started to swirl it along the pulse point in my neck, sucking and swirling until I thought I'd scream. Just when I thought I couldn't take anymore, he dropped to the hollow at the base of my throat and repeated his sweet escapade. By this time I was moaning unabashedly, my fingers laced in his hair.

When he lightly sank his teeth onto my nipple I screamed. He put his fingers in my mouth and I started sucking on them, partly because I wanted to, but partly because I needed them to keep me from screaming.

He moved down to my rib cage and I knew I would be squirming soon because this was one of my favorite things he did to me. He scraped his teeth along the ridges and bit down...not too hard but not too soft either.

"Pearce, I have to have you inside of me. NOW!"

"Not yet. I have other plans sweetheart," he teased.

I groaned and pulled his hair, hard.

He stopped what he was doing and picked me up and threw me down on the bed. He dropped to his knees on the floor and pulled me to the edge. Spreading my legs, he sucked the tender skin on the inside of my thighs. When he slipped his finger inside of me, I came with a vengeance, calling out his name.

When he felt my orgasm subside, he bent his head and picked up with his tongue where his fingers had been before. I thought I would go mad from the sensations. We had made passionate love before, but it was never like this...he was never like this. He'd unleashed a part of himself that he'd kept reined in...had held in check.

"Oh yes Pearce." And he kept going.

Now I had to have him...all of him.

"I need you. Please don't make me wait any longer."

He was inside of me before I could even get the last word out. Fast and hard, at first, but then he pulled me up so we were face to face.

"Wrap your legs around me baby."

I did and my arms too. I think every part of my body was connected to his. I brushed his hair back and kissed his lips softly. In his mouth I told him I loved him more than life itself. He came as I spoke the words.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The next morning, he informed me we had a day at the spa scheduled. My mouth hung open until he took his hand and put it under my chin and gently closed it.

The Grove Park Inn housed a subterranean spa that was known for its rock walls, tunnels and waterfall pools. Oh yeah, it was also known for its wonderful spa treatments too.

Pearce had set up a whole day of services for us. We started with the mineral pools, then moved to the waterfall massage pools and then the outdoor hot tubs. Next we had a couple's signature spa treatment. Afterward, they brought us lunch in a private room. I was so relaxed I dozed for a bit.

Pearce woke me up in time for my manicure pedicure, which was done in our private room. We drank champagne while I was being polished up.

When I was finished, it was time for our facials. By the time we were done with everything, it was late afternoon. There was only one thing I wanted to do now, and apparently Pearce was thinking the same thing because we rushed back to our rooms and stripped off our clothing in record time.

Afterward, we lay in each other's arms with our room aglow in the late afternoon sun and fell asleep, completely relaxed from the day's activities.

When I woke up, I was lying with my head on Pearce's abs, and my arms were wrapped around his torso. I couldn't think of a better place to be. I lifted my head to see his smoky grays staring me down. They were smoldering with passion, so I didn't even bother to speak. I turned my head back to his abs and set my mouth to do what I loved the most. I started nibbling his firm muscles and relishing in the intake of his breath.

His hands twisted up in my hair and he let me do my thing. I moved across his hip bone, leaving a trail of kisses and tiny bites as I scraped my teeth along that sexy vee of his.

He gasped, hard, when I took him into my mouth and then he groaned and said my name over and over. He turned me on so much I could hardly stand it. I looked at him and saw he was watching me under heavy lidded eyes and what a sight he was. Dark, sexy and hot.

"On top. Now." That's all he said. I felt his hands moving me into place and then he was inside of me.

He put his hands on my hips and started to move me to match his rhythm. I was in heaven. He always knew exactly what I needed and how. It didn't take long for both of us to reach our climaxes, and when we did, we were boldly watching each other. I now got why he liked to look at me when I came. God, he was really something...the way his brow creased, his lips slightly parted and his eyes bore into my soul. I collapsed in a heap onto his chest.

Without a word, he pulled me off of him and I moaned in protest. I hated it when he pulled out of me. He brought me up to his side and we faced each other. His lips were soft when they started their teasing, but that didn't last long.

"You didn't think we were finished, did you?"

Shit! He was going to wear me out at this rate.

I kissed him back, biting his lower lip, gently.

"You didn't answer me," he prodded.

"I guess not."

By the time we were ready for dinner, I could barely stand on my feet. He looked at me and let out a howl of laughter.

"I think it'll be room service tonight."

"Thank God!"

"You pick something out while I run us a bath."

I ordered some lobster, salad, baked potatoes and a bottle of chardonnay. I didn't even look at the price of things. I told them to have it here in one hour. No sooner. I figured if we were in that huge jetted tub, it'd be an hour before we'd get out. And guess what? I was right!

An hour later, there was a knock on the door and Pearce answered it. He signed the bill and tipped the server.

We sat down and then he took me on the most sensuous food journey of my life. It began as he took my robe off and pulled my naked body onto his very naked lap. Grinning, he pierced a piece of the lobster and dunked it in butter. Pulling it off of the fork with his fingers, he slid it into my mouth. I didn't just take the meat. I sucked the butter off of his fingers and felt him grow hard beneath me as I did.

"I think this is going to be a long meal," he said.

"How so?"

"Because I'm going to have to do more than just feed you Alexia," he explained, right before he kissed me.

He was right. It took forever to eat, but in the end, it was worth every bite. He finally laid me across the table and used me as his plate. When he drizzled the butter across the lobster, which was dangerously close to my sex, I almost came as I watched him lick it all off of me.

"And now, for dessert," he said, as he pulled me to the edge of the table and brought me to a magnificent climax.

I never knew loving someone could be so intense or filled with pleasure.

We were lying in bed and he was just looking at me.

"What are you thinking of? You have such a satisfied look on your face," he noted.

"I am satisfied. Hell Pearce, look at what we've done today." I laughed. "It's been decadent."

"Were you pleased?"

"Are you fishing for compliments?"

"Maybe."

"Then, I was beyond pleased. I was...well, I'm not quite sure how to describe it. I know one thing. I was loved today."

"Was it obvious?"

"Hmm, yeah." I grabbed him by his hair and kissed him. "I love you. Like crazy."

"Enough to marry me yet?"

"Yes, but not right away. You have to know there'll never be anyone for me but you. Shit Pearce. Do you think I could have this with someone else?"

"I don't know Alexia."

I lifted myself up to my elbow. He was serious. There was a question in his mind about that.

"Well I do. There won't ever be anyone for me but you. It's like what you said. I'll always be here...till the end. I love you with everything I have. I just can't marry you yet. Please give me a little time. It's all I'm asking."

"Of course I'll give you time. I told you, I'm a patient man. Alexia, you don't know what it means to me just to hear to tell me you love me."

"Well, I do. More than I ever thought possible."

He kissed the end of my nose. "I guess we should try to get some sleep. We need to be at the airport at ten in the morning. I wanted to get you home in time for brunch with the family tomorrow. Is that okay?"

"Perfect."
CHAPTER SIXTEEN

We landed in Charleston right around eleven and we were at the Middleton mansion before noon. They did brunch once a month as a family. It was quite an extravagant affair with all sorts of wonderful dishes. Eggs benedict, crab omelets, shrimp and grits, biscuits, bacon, sausage and an array of sweets. Bloody Marys, mimosas and Bellinis were also making the rounds. They were a family that liked to have a good time.

"Oh Pearce, don't forget about the upcoming Heart Ball. Your father is the chairman this year and we're hosting several tables."

"Right. What's the date again?" Pearce asked.

"It's the first Saturday in February. I hope you're bringing Alexia."

Everyone turned to me as Pearce answered, "I hope so too Mom."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied.

"The Heart Ball is a fundraiser that Dad's practice is involved with every year. It's a black tie affair and it's usually at Charleston Place."

"That's right," Susan chimed in.

"Sounds great."

"Then you'll come?" Pearce asked.

Talk about pressure. I didn't know what to say. I couldn't afford to buy anything but I didn't have anything fancy to wear to something like this. Pearce must've noticed my angst, because he leaned in and whispered, "And I get to take you shopping." He was serious. I could tell from his expression it was something we wanted to do. I raised my brows but he just nodded.

"Sounds like lots of fun...especially going with you all."

Susan beamed and then so did Henry.

Pearce looked at Justin and asked, "Who're you taking?"

"I have no idea. Maybe no one. Alexia, you don't know any single ladies, do you?"

I looked at Justin for a moment and thought really hard about this for a second. Then I blurted out before I lost the nerve, "Yeah, yeah I do. Her name's Terri and she's my best friend."

Pearce turned to me and said, "Are you sure?"

"Why not? Maybe you should meet her first. That was the plan anyway, remember?"

"Yeah."

"So what, I need Pearce's stamp of approval or something?" Justin asked.

I backed out of this whole thing because I didn't want to get caught in an argument. We all thought it best that Pearce meet Terri first and then the four of us could go to dinner.

********

My week was so busy with the upcoming trip to Greenville that I didn't have time for anything. All the security measures had been finally completed at Lisbeth's so I was free to move back in. I was nervous staying by myself the first few nights, and I also missed Pearce like crazy, but I had so much work that I didn't need any distractions. He was on call for the week, all the way to Saturday, so it worked out to my advantage.

Every night he'd text me if he was able to make it here before two in the morning, so he wouldn't scare me or anything. That only happened on Wednesday and Thursday. By Saturday, when his call was finally over, he was beat.

I went and picked up some things to cook and had dinner ready for him by the time he walked in the door. He looked a wreck. He walked straight into my arms and hugged me, then gave me a long sexy kiss. He pulled me behind him as he walked up the stairs. I helped him undress so he could take a shower.

"Join me," he begged as he moved us into the bathroom.

How could I resist that invitation?

We got in the shower and I squirted a big dollop of body wash in the palm of my hands and rubbed them together to make a sudsy lather. I began to wash him, starting at his neck and moving south. I allowed my hands to linger in certain areas, rubbing the knots of tension out of his muscles. I started massaging the body wash on his shoulders and back, down to his waist and I couldn't stop when I got to the round curves of his ass. My hand slipped between his legs and things got really heated then. He spun around and picked me up, slid inside of me and backed me into the corner of the shower. His mouth was all over mine, but the way I matched the motion of his hips had me telling him I wanted more.

"Tell me Alexia. What do you want?"

"I want you Pearce. All of you. Faster."

"Like this?"

"Yeah, just like that! Ah," I cried.

"Look at me Alexia." His voice was hoarse and raw with passion.

Every time he said that to me, it threw me off the cliff. I came and he followed.

"I don't want you to pull out. Do you think we can just stay like this forever?"

"It'd be nice, but a little difficult to explain to my patients."

I broke out into a fit of giggles.

"You are so sexy, Pearce."

"Ha! Not anywhere near as sexy as you. Now it's my turn to wash you."

I knew where this was headed. He started with my hair. He really loved to wash my hair. I think he loved watching the soap suds travel down my body most of all. Next he said he thought my nipples needed an extra washing so he took great care to be thorough with them. By the time he finished, I was moaning and grabbing his hair. He moved to my abs, then my hips, but then he teased my inner thighs, massaging and tickling. When he finally slipped two fingers inside of me, I orgasmed around them, calling his name. He turned me around and stretched my arms above my head. Then he slipped in behind me and started moving at leisurely pace. That didn't last long. It seemed that whenever we joined together, some kind of force overtook us and we became so passionate our slow pace was thrown out the window. We simply couldn't stick to slow. We were breathless and completely spent by the time we both climaxed.

"You're gonna be the death of me one day."

"What do you mean."

"Sex, babe. Death by sex, Alexia. It's fucking amazing with you. Every damn time. Always. Never the same. Always a new experience, like it's the first time. I love you sweetheart." He bent and kissed my neck.

"Aw, you're just saying that," I kidded.

"Yeah, uh huh."

"Pearce?"

"Yeah?"

"I think you're gonna need to get a bigger water heater."

We both laughed as we got out of the now cool shower.

I served him dinner in bed and he told he about his week. It was a killer...no pun intended. Lots of gunshots, car wrecks, and one guy got mangled up by a boat propeller. Other things happened but I was amazed by his talented hands again and I held them against my heart and told him so.

"Thanks angel. I'm drifting so I'll just tell you now. Don't want to sleep alone anymore. Marry me. Love you."

And then I heard his soft even breathing.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Pearce and I were meeting Terri at Home Team in West Ashley for lunch. We got there a little early and got a table in the back where we could have a little privacy. She bopped in and I waved my arm at her. She couldn't see Pearce until she was right in front of him. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped open. I grinned and Pearce rose to his feet.

"Hello Terri, I'm so happy to finally meet you. Alexia has told me so much about you. I feel as if I already know you." I could already tell his voice had hypnotized her.

He ushered her into her seat and she still hadn't said a word.

"So how's it going Terr? I already put in an order for some wings."

Still no word. It was like her mind had been zapped by Pearce.

I looked at Pearce and he looked at me and shrugged.

"Terri! Hello, is anyone home?" I snapped my fingers in front of her face.

She finally shook her head and said, "Sorry. Don't know what got into me." Then she blushed.

"S'okay. So, I wanted you to meet Pearce because you said you wanted to give your approval."

"Oh, I approve all right. He's hot as shit."

"Terri!"

"Oh fuck! I did not mean to say that out loud. I am so sorry. Oh shit. Lexi, I'm sorry."

"Well, don't apologize to me. You need to apologize to Pearce. That was kind of rude."

She turned to Pearce and said, "She's totally right. I'm really sorry. I was just...well, I wasn't expecting you to look the way you do. I mean you're a doctor for Christ's sake."

"TERRI! What the hell?"

"Oh man, this is going from bad to worse. What I meant was that doctors aren't usually good looking. They're normally pretty geeky."

"Okay, look Pearce, my friend Terri's body has been invaded by a species that has absolutely no tact. Please forgive her and then forgive me for making you sit through this torturous lunch."

After about fifteen minutes, Terri finally got her mind and wit back and Pearce had her charmed like nothing I've ever seen. He could really put it to work when he wanted to.

They talked about growing up in Charleston and the high schools they'd attended. He was seven years older than she was so they weren't in school at the same time, and they'd gone to different schools, so it really didn't matter anyway. They talked about college and she told him about meeting me at UVA and she wanted to know where he went. I had never thought about this, so when he told her he'd gone to Harvard, I almost fell out of my chair.

"Don't let it fool you though. I'm pretty thick headed most times."

Yeah, right. Harvard. WTF! How did I not know that?

As if he read my mind, I felt his hand slip into mine, under the table, and his thumb started massaging tiny circles in my palm.

The waitress showed up with our wings and I was glad for the distraction, but not nearly as glad as my stomach was. I was starved.

We all dug in and munched on the best wings in the universe when Terri, or maybe it was Pearce, almost, but not quite, made me require the administration of the Heimlich maneuver.

"So Pearce, what are your intentions as far as Lexi is concerned."

"Well, Terri, I'm glad you asked. You see, I'm madly, passionately and wildly in love with your best friend here and I would love nothing better than for her to be my wife. But, she thinks things are moving too fast, so I want her to live with me until she is used to the idea of becoming Alexia Hammond Middleton."

I choked as Terri yelled, "Holy fuck!"

Pearce immediately wanted to know if I could breathe. Terri kept yelling, "Holy fuck!"

Now, other people in the restaurant were looking at us and Pearce kept asking me loudly if could breath. I finally eked out a squeaky, "Yes," as I continued to cough.

"Jesus, Alexia, you just gave me another MI."

"Oh," cough, cough, "and what do you think you did to me?"

Terri kept staring at Pearce, mumbling, "Holy fuck," over and over.

"Terri, will you stop it already. I love the hell out of him too, okay?"

She gave her head a really hard shake and then asked, "Why don't you want to get married, Lex?"

"Ha, good question, Terri!" exclaimed Pearce.

"I do...just not yet. We've only been together a couple of weeks."

Pearce grabbed my head and kissed me soundly on the mouth.

Terri just looked at us in awe and mumbled something like, "If only in my dreams." Finally something clicked in her brain. Then she said, "Okay look, Pearce, Lex is like my sister. I love her more than my sister. Well, I don't have a sister, only a brother, but you get my meaning here. She's right. Y'all have only been together a couple of weeks. Anything this magical is worth treasuring and waiting for, right?"

"Yeah, it is. And I told her I'd be waiting for her until the end. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here for her forever."

Terri looked at him, examined him, to make sure he was being honest. I already knew he was, but I wanted her to see it for herself. When she did, she said, "You're a good man Pearce Middleton. But if you ever harm even an eyelash of hers, I'll twist your balls till you're blue in the face. You feel me?"

Pearce looked at her and said, "You know I do and you can count on me Terri. The last thing I'd ever do is hurt our girl here. Plus, I really value my balls."

********

Three nights later, on Wednesday, the four of us, and that would be Pearce and I along with Terri and Justin, met at McCarthy's for a casual dinner. Pearce had been so taken with her, he agreed that maybe she and Justin might end up having a good time at the Heart Ball together.

I warned Terri about how much the two brothers looked alike because I didn't want her to act like a buffoon again. She promised that now the shell shock of being surrounded by a Greek god had worn off, she'd be on her best behavior. I did some serious eye rolling on that comment.

Terri and Justin seemed to have a great time. I didn't push anything, but I knew I'd get the truth from her afterward. I was headed to Greenville in the morning for my big presentation, so maybe I would have some time to call her later that day.

The presentation went great and we would find out the following week if we were awarded the contract. My manager did most of the presenting, except for the pitch to get all the hospitals on board to align with the electronic medical records. My part was to show them how they could integrate what they had now and streamline everything into one secure system. It could be linked to their offices and all satellite hospitals, making it a simple task for their physicians to access any of their patients records. As long as the patient was in the system somewhere, they could link to that patient. The hospital could stop duplicating its data entries everywhere.

Then I went in for the kill. I explained how this could decrease their costs because it could allow for fewer employees, lessen the chance of medication errors, which in turn, could protect them from avoidable lawsuits. Patient information at the physician's fingertips, anywhere, anytime without a time lag is the dream in streamlined medical care. When I finished, they were practically drooling.

We wrapped everything up and hit the road. We had a three hour drive so by the time we got back to Mount Pleasant, it was after seven.

I took my time getting home, being extra careful because I was really tired. Pearce was on call so I was in no hurry.

I pulled into the driveway and went inside after disengaging the alarm system, being careful to reset it immediately.

I grabbed a water out of the fridge and headed to the bedroom. I changed my clothes, washed my face and brushed my teeth and crawled into bed.

********

My phone ringing woke me up at six the next morning.

"Hey sweetheart. How'd it go?"

"Hmm. Great."

"I woke you."

"Yeah. What time is it?"

"Six."

"Oh, thanks then. I was so tired I didn't set the alarm. Are you home?"

"Not yet but I'm headed that way. God, it was a long night. Can I bring you a latte?"

"Would you?"

"Are you kidding? I'm leaving here in ten."

"See ya in a few."

I got up and showered. I was getting dressed when I heard him come in. I ran to greet him and damn, he looked perfect, as usual. Hair all messy, wearing blue scrubs and those running shoes he loved. He had that nice dark scruff on his face so I grabbed his cheeks and rubbed mine against his.

"Damn you look good," I told him. "Wish I didn't have to go to work this morning."

He took my hand and slid it down between his legs and said, "Me too." His erection was bulging against my hand.

"Shit Pearce, that is so not fair."

"For who, you or me, 'cause baby the way I see it right now, it's not fair for me. I'm a bit uncomfortable at the moment."

"Will it always be like this between us?"

"It is for my parents."

"How do you know?"

"Just start watching them when you're around them and then you tell me."

The biceps and deltoids in his arms stood out as he handed me my coffee.

"Thanks."

He leaned in to kiss me. "Are you going to tell me or do I have to tickle it out of you."

I beamed from one ear to the next. "It was awesome. I think I killed it."

"Woohoo!" he yelled as he picked me up in the air and twirled me around. "You go get 'em babe!"

We both laughed. I looked at the clock and he knew I had to get a move on.

"My house tonight?"

"Yeah. You on call?"

"Nope. I need to get you my call schedule. I'll email it to you today."

"Kay. Stay while I get dressed."

He followed me back to my room as I threw on some clothes and he looked in my closet as he sat on the bed.

"I want to take you shopping tomorrow to get a dress for the ball. You up for it?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

I finished with my stuff and we both headed out at the same time. I set the alarm as I left. He kissed me and I hopped into my car and took off.

Traffic was cool so I got to work on time. My manager was thrilled with our performance yesterday so it was a great day at work. The hours flew by because now my manager wanted to write up a plan that everyone would start following when they presented our package to large hospital systems.

It was five o'clock before I knew it and I hadn't even eaten lunch. I left work and drove home. Once there I grabbed my weekend clothing, and headed to Pearce's.

When I pulled in his driveway, there was another car there. I really didn't think anything of it so I ran up the steps to the side door we always used and let myself in with my key. Once inside, I was going to go upstairs to leave my stuff in the bedroom, but I heard Pearce's voice coming from the front of the house. He was in the formal living area that we didn't ever use. What I heard next made me cringe.

It was the banshee.

"But Pearce, darling, we used to have so much fun. I don't understand why you're acting like this."

"I've told you Carmody, I have someone in my life that I love, that's why."

Okay, I like that.

"Why, you can't mean that mousy thing you had with you at your parent's house, can you? Because if so, what's happened to you honey?"

"Alexia isn't a mousy thing and you know it Carmody."

"Well darling, she certainly looked frumpy to me. What was that thing she was wearing?"

I heard Pearce expel his breath forcefully. "Carmody, I think it's best if you leave."

"Pearce, I was hoping you and I could, well, you know, rekindle our flame. I'd like to wrap my lips around your..."

"Enough Carmody!"

I'd never heard Pearce use that tone of voice so I could tell he was super angry. I decided he could use a little help in there.

I waltzed right in the room and from the look of the banshee's face, I knew I was the last person she expected to see. I went straight up to Pearce, stood on my tiptoes, wrapped my arms around him, pressed my body against his and kissed him. Really kissed him...total tongue, lips and mouth moving against him and then I ground myself against him until I heard him moan...loudly. When I was satisfied, I released him and leaned back a bit and declared, "I've missed the hell out of you today Pearce Middleton."

Then I turned around to the banshee and grabbed her arm and escorted her to the door.

"I believe your visit is concluded, Darmonkey. Have a nice day." I shoved her out on the front porch and shut the door behind her, turning the dead bolt so she couldn't mistake the sound.

When I walked back into the room, Pearce was looking at me with a new kind of respect in his eyes. Then they started twinkling.

"Darmonkey?"

"Yeah, since she called me mousy and frumpy, I thought I'd get her back."

He threw back his head and laughed.

"She's pretty pesky, isn't she?"

He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "You have no idea."

"I think I do."

"Come here.

I walked up to him and he said, "That was some kiss."

"I know, right?"

"Uh huh. Wanna do it again? I think you sort of owe me for getting me fired up this morning and then leaving me high and dry sweetheart."

"Is that how it works?"

"Yup. Hop on board baby."

That's all the inviting I needed. He toted me upstairs and I spent the next hour up there paying him back for his morning woes.

********

The next day, we went out for breakfast and then Pearce took me shopping...and I mean shopping. He took me up and down King Street and God only knows how much money the man dropped.

I ended up getting a gorgeous gold Badgley Mischka gown that had the illusion of being sheer but was actually very modest. It had a plunging neckline and deep vee in the back but the fabric it was sewn with only made it appear to be risqué. It was eye-stopping. The sales clerk told me immediately that was the 'it' dress, but when I saw Pearce's expression, I knew for certain I had to get it. He couldn't speak.

We left there and went to several shoe stores where he bought me shoes for the ball and then a new pair of boots and pair of black shoes for work and a casual pair for anytime. Then it was jeans time. He must've dropped over six hundred dollars alone on three pairs of jeans.

I don't know who had more fun, him or me. He kept making me try things on. We made several trips to the car because we couldn't carry everything. I tried to get him to stop, but he adamantly refused. I felt like a kid in Toys 'R Us. No one had ever taken me shopping like this. And I don't mean to spend a ridiculous amount of money. My mom would only take me shopping every once in a blue moon, but it was only for the barest of necessities. This was fun!

Late in the afternoon, we were walking hand in hand down the street when he wheeled me into a store. I hadn't really paid attention to where we were going until we got inside. It was a jewelry store.

I looked at him with narrowed eyes and he said, "Don't worry, it's not what you think."

There was a small part of me that was a bit disappointed. I would never have told him that tough.

"You need jewelry for the ball sweetheart."

"My dress has so much gold on it I don't think I need a necklace."

"I agree. No necklace. But earrings. Plain. Understated. And a bracelet. Gold obviously."

"May I help you?" the sales clerk asked.

"Yes. I'd like to see some diamond earrings please."

"Certainly. What cut and size sir?"

"Round, and at least a carat."

"Pearce!" I exclaimed.

He looked at me and said, "Indulge me Alexia."

So I sat there as he looked over the selection and haggled and finally decided on a lovely pair of two carat diamond earrings. Then he wanted to look at diamond bracelets. The clerk, now knowing what his tastes and spending range was, brought out some exquisite pieces, but I was so uncomfortable now, I was squirming. He rifled through all the pieces and wasn't satisfied with any of them. Now, all the clerks were bringing things for him to look at. Large bracelets and small ones, everything you can imagine. He chose one and we went in the back to draw up the legal papers on the purchase and the declaration of value for insurance purposes. I refused to look at the price because I knew if I did, I'd be afraid to wear the damn thing. We finally left and I hung my head as we did so.

We made our way back to the car in silence, and when we slipped inside, he reached over and said, "Talk to me. Now Alexia."

"That stuff in there isn't me Pearce."

"The bracelet, the earrings or both."

"Both."

"The earrings are lovely and will look beautiful on you. You need to try them on before you judge them. The same with the bracelet."

"Why did you buy them? I don't need them."

"You don't have to take them. I just thought that they'd be perfect on you."

"It's not me Pearce. I don't wear jewelry. I don't really care for it."

"Tell you what. Try the bracelet on with your dress the night of the ball and then decide. If you still don't want it, I'll take it back, okay? But can I clue you in on a little secret?"

"Yeah, sure."

"When I was looking at those bracelets, the only thing I could think of was you being naked and wearing only that while you were on top, riding me. Will you at least do that for me one time?"

I looked at him sideways and burst out laughing.

"You're kidding."

"Would I kid about that?"

I looked at him again and I could honestly say he was telling the damn truth.

"You mean to tell me you spent thousands of dollars so you could see me naked, having sex with you, wearing that bracelet?"

"That's about right." His eyes had taken on that bedroom sexy look.

"You're kind of kinky."

"Only with you, babe. Now can we go home so you can try on your new sex toy?"

I threw back my head and laughed really hard again.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Time seemed to be passing by at warp speed. The night of the ball arrived and I was getting ready at Pearce's. I decided to wear my hair up in a messy bun at the nape of my neck. I was fairly good at this, but not great, so I was a bit nervous as I pinned it up. My belly fluttered as I thought of all the wealthy people I would be surrounded by tonight. I would be so far out of my element, I couldn't even think about it. Every time I did, I came extremely close to throwing up.

My make-up was finished. Of course I had vacillated over wearing mascara, but I still couldn't bring myself to do it. It brought forth memories of Beavis and Butthead and that made me want to hurl too.

I stepped into my gown and then my stilettos. I said a prayer about not face planting, zipped up my dress and put my new diamond studs in my ears. The last thing I did was clasp the diamond bracelet on my wrist and I instantly felt myself become wet. That damn bracelet had become Pearce's new toy d'choice. Every time I looked at it, my body surged with desire.

I scurried out of the room before I did something that would make us late.

I took my time walking down the stairs and when I reached the living room, Pearce turned and froze. He didn't move for such a long time I began to worry.

"Christ Alexia. I'm not sure I can take you anywhere looking like that."

"Is it that bad?" He had me worried my hair wasn't right or something was off.

"Bad? Jesus, you're so fucking beautiful I honestly don't know if I can keep my hands off of you. I'm not joking sweetheart. I'm tempted to tell you to go and change."

"But Pearce, I don't have anything else to wear."

"Then maybe we shouldn't go."

"You're kidding, right?"

"No, I am not kidding. Come here."

I walked over to him and, well, he didn't hold anything back. It was hard, fast and rough. I was thoroughly satisfied when we were done.

He rearranged my gown, making sure everything was in order and I tucked and zipped him back in. I went to the bathroom just to do a check and off we went to the ball.

********

I'd never been to such a fancy affair in my life. Pearce oozed sex appeal, dressed in his tuxedo. Justin also looked great and Terri looked perfect. She was dressed in red and with her black hair and blue eyes, her gown complimented her coloring perfectly. She and Justin made a stunning couple.

Pearce literally would not take his hands off of me. I almost had to pry them away when his father asked me to dance. I had to lean over and whisper in Pearce's ear, that it would be most difficult for me to dance with his father if Pearce wouldn't let my arm loose.

Taking my hint, he relaxed his grip and off I went with Henry, praying I would smash his toes.

"Alexia, you look quite beautiful tonight. I don't think I've ever seen Pearce react the way he does around you."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that so I smiled.

Henry continued, "He's not one to become so smitten with a woman. You've enchanted him I believe."

I smiled again.

"Susan and I are amazed by his behavior."

Okay, this was getting a little uncomfortable.

"May I say something Henry and I hope I don't offend you."

"Please do."

"Your son is the most amazing man I've ever known. I wouldn't care if he were a janitor at the local elementary school, I would feel the same way about him. I've begged him not to go overboard where I'm concerned because, frankly, most of this stuff makes me very uncomfortable. I love Pearce. That's all I wanted you to know."

"Alexia, I already knew that honey. It's written all over your face." He smiled then and I felt better. "I was only telling you those things because he doesn't act like this with just anyone. He loves you too. It's obvious with everything he does."

Then I really smiled.

"I hope you two are very happy."

The song ended and he escorted me back to Pearce, who looked to be ready to pace the floors.

"Honey, calm down. I was only with your dad."

"Dance with me."

"Okay."

He took me out on the floor and after a moment I asked him, "Is there anything you can't do?" He moved with perfect rhythm and grace.

His face turned very serious and he said, "Yes, I can't marry the woman I love because she's not ready yet."

"Oh," I felt my breath leave my body. "Pearce."

"Don't worry, I'll wear you down eventually," he smiled. "Like I said before, I'm here for the long run honey."

I couldn't stop myself from kissing him. It was probably a huge mistake, because we ended up locked in each other's arms, making somewhat of a spectacle out of ourselves.

I whispered into his mouth, "We're gaining an audience."

"Aw, fuck 'em," he responded.

He steered me back to our table. The rest of the night was spent either joking around with Justin and Terri, dancing or having an intimate conversation in some small alcove we were lucky enough to escape to.

Terri and Justin looked like they were getting a little close so Pearce looked at me and made an executive decision to leave. We snuck out while everyone was dancing to a popular song and headed home for a romantic rest of the night that included me wearing Pearce's favorite bracelet.
CHAPTER NINETEEN

March hit us and the weather warmed up. Spring was around the corner but it was already in the air. I'd pulled my shorts out and it was the perfect Saturday to walk along the beach. Pearce had the weekend off so we called Terri and Justin to see if they wanted to head out to the beach for the day.

We watched a group of guys kitesurfing, as the wind was strong that day. It was awesome to see how much speed they could pick up and then watch them as they flipped and turned.

We left the beach late in the afternoon and drove up to McClellanville to grab some she crab soup at the Crab Pot Restaurant. It was dark as we followed Terri and Justin home in Justin's Land Rover. We'd taken separate cars because Justin was on call and he needed a vehicle in case he got called in to the hospital.

As we were driving, I saw a deer jump out of the woods in front of Justin's car. He swerved to miss it but there was an eighteen wheeler in the lane next to him. I screamed as his car hit the truck and careened back into his lane, then spun out of control and rolled off the highway down an embankment, coming to a crash against a huge pine tree. It was like deja vu all over again.

I couldn't stop screaming, "Terri, Justin!"

Pearce slammed on his brakes and had to swerve out of the way to miss getting hit himself. We finally spun out, but were unharmed.

"Alexia! Are you okay? Lexi, answer me now!"

"Yes I'm okay," I cried. "Are you?"

"Yeah, honey I'm fine. I have to go to them. Call 911 stat. Tell them exactly what happened. Use my phone and tell them to track us by GPS. Tell them who I am. Follow me now because I'm going to need your help."

We got out of the car and he grabbed that proverbial medical bag that all doctors must have secreted away somewhere, out of his trunk. I called 911 as we ran to the Land Rover.

"Fuck! It's so dark I can't see anything. Lex, I have a flashlight app on my phone. I need you to turn it on."

I did as he asked and in the meantime I had the 911 operator on the line.

"I need your location," the operator said.

"I don't know it. We're somewhere between McClellanville and Mount Pleasant. Use my GPS tracking on my iPhone."

"Lex, shine that light over here."

I did as he asked and Pearce was able to get to the door handle but it was locked.

"Fuck, it's locked from the inside. Lex, go back to my trunk and get the jack or tire iron and bring the beach towels."

I ran back and brought as many things as my arms could carry. When I returned, he wrapped the jack in the towel, broke through the window and reached through and unlocked the door. He called to both Justin and Terri but got no response. When the door opened, the light came on and there was blood everywhere. It was bad and I almost went down.

"Lex, hand me that kit."

I passed him everything and watched him go to work. He did a quick assessment of Justin and moved to Terri. He called out to me that Terri wasn't breathing and I needed to assist him in performing some kind of something. He put a small slit in her throat and inserted a tube and air started moving in. Then he checked both of them for bleeding. Justin had blood pumping out of his abdomen and Pearce stuck his hand straight into his belly and tried to get it to stop.

"Lexi, I need you to get close to me honey. I can't see a fucking thing and I need that light on Justin or he's gonna bleed out."

He looked up at me and the look in his eyes made me want to crumble.

God, please help this man save his brother.

I moved right next to him, and even though I thought I was going to pass out, and I still wonder how I didn't, I held that light exactly where he needed it.

"I'm right here with you Pearce. You just tell me what to do honey and I'll fucking do it."

I shined that light on Justin and Pearce slid his fingers inside of him and seconds later the blood stopped pumping out. "I got it," he called. "Now babe, I can't move. I'm locked here until the medics arrive. You gotta check Terri's breathing. I'll help you with whatever needs to be done, okay."

"On it, Doc."

I moved to the other side of the Land Rover on auto pilot and looked at the tube and reported back to Pearce that the air was still flowing.

"Lex, lift up her eyelids and shine the light into them. Tell me what happens to her pupils."

"They got smaller."

"Both of them?"

"Yep."

"Good."

"Now what?"

"I want you to see if she's bleeding anywhere like Justin was. If it's blood that's just coming from a wound it's okay. If it's pumping or spurting out, that's not good. That's what you need to look for."

"On it."

"Lex? Don't move her. Protect her head, neck and spine, okay?"

"Yep."

I ran my hands along her body as best I could without moving her, but I didn't see any major blood gushing from anywhere.

"Pearce, I think she's okay. Her leg doesn't look good though. It looks sort of twisted or something."

It was lying at an awkward angle that wasn't normal.

"I agree and I saw that. Lex, you're doing great honey."

"When is that fucking ambulance gonna be here?" I asked, frustrated.

"Soon honey."

I held Terri's hand and squeezed it. I felt my tears dripping down my face but I wasn't going to stop for anything.

"Pearce, do you think they're gonna make it?"

"Babe, this is the golden hour. When critical injuries occur, the first sixty minutes are the most important. You assess and treat the most life threatening and go from there. That's what we're doing."

"What if we're missing something?"

"I don't think we are Lexi."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep. Come over here."

I ran back around to him and he told me to go back to the car and make sure the emergency flashers were on. I did and they were. When I was up there, I thought I heard sirens in the distance. I ran back down to him and he was still sitting there with his fingers in Justin.

"I think I hear them."

We just stared at each other in the dim lighting of the wrecked Land Rover. I wanted to wake up from this horrible dream and run my hands through Pearce's hair and for once be the one to tell him it was going to be fine and this was all just a nightmare. I found I couldn't tear my eyes away from his and I knew in that instant that I couldn't live without him...ever...for a minute.

"I'll marry you Pearce. You name the day and time and I'll be there waiting for you. I'll be there till the end."

The ambulances were finally there and the area was swarming with medics. They shoved me out of the way and I walked back up to the highway and leaned on Pearce's car as I waited to hear the news. I knew I'd have to drive because he'd be riding in the ambulance with Justin. I didn't think he'd move his hands until they got Justin in the trauma center and then of course Pearce wouldn't be able to operate because he was a family member and all.

It all hit me then and I got sick, violently sick. I started shaking from my fingertips to the ends of my toes. The tears poured down my face and I couldn't seem to get a grip on my emotions. I was breaking down. I was shivering with cold so I wrapped a beach towel around me, not even noticing it was covered in blood.

It took me a few minutes before I felt the arm around me. I was still shivering so badly I didn't know what to do with myself.

"Alexia, it's me, Henry. We got a call from the hospital. Alexia, I think you're in shock honey."

I put my arms around him and just cried. I tried to tell him what happened but it all came out sounding like Greek or something.

He tried to calm me down but I was so upset by the enormity of what had taken place, that I was inconsolable.

Susan was there too and she was doing her best to help.

Then I heard his voice, Pearce's voice in my mind, and I remembered how calm he was as he instructed me on how to do everything. I started taking deep calming breaths and in a little while, I felt my wits returning to me. It took a few more minutes, but I finally got over the hump.

"God, I'm so sorry. I don't know why I got all crazy on you." I rubbed my hands together, trying to bring some warmth into them.

"Your adrenaline surge had you going and when it stopped you're now experiencing the back side of it. I think you're in shock over all of this. Let's head to the trauma center now."

"Pearce's car?"

"I'll drive it and you ride with Susan and Ava."

I just nodded numbly and followed them. I rode in the back of their Mercedes sedan and pieced together what had happened. I could hear Ava's cries from the front of the car.

Susan said in a firm voice, "Ava! Stop it now. Justin is with Pearce. He's with the most capable trauma surgeon anywhere on the East coast of the United States. If anyone can save him, Pearce can. Now you need to be strong."

"Yes ma'am," Ava cried. "I'm just so worried.

"I know, but Alexia said he got the bleeding stopped and everything else will be fine."

"What if he has a head injury?" Ava asked.

Susan didn't say anything for a minute but I jumped in and said, "Pearce shined the light on their pupils and he said they were normal. Does that mean anything?"

"Yes, it does honey," Susan replied. "That's a really good sign.

We talked like that the whole way to the trauma center at the Medical University and finally found ourselves pacing in the trauma surgery waiting room. I called Terri's parents to tell them what happened and they were there pacing right along with us.

About three hours later, when our nerves were all but shattered, those automatic doors swung open and Pearce walked through. He didn't say a word but his eyes darted around the room like pinballs until they landed on me and then he was in front of me in four long strides.

His voice was husky as he wrapped his arms around me and said, "Alexia."

My heart stopped because I knew with a certainty that it was bad. I tightened my arms around him and asked, "Oh God no. Justin?"

"No, you saved him sweetheart." Then he did the craziest thing ever. He swung me around and shouted to everyone in the room, "This woman saved my brother's life!" Next came the kiss. I wanted to kiss him but I needed to hear about Terri first.

I pulled away from him and asked, "Terri?"

"Good too."

Then he tried for another kiss but I stopped him and leaned my head over to the side so I could yell to Terri's parent's, "Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell, Terri is good." Then I let him kiss me.

When we finally broke apart, I whispered to Pearce, "You know, you're the one that saved Justin."

In a very loud voice, so everyone could hear, Pearce disagreed. "Alexia, if you hadn't held that light for me to see in there, I could never have found that bleeder. It was so dark I couldn't see what the fuck I was doing. You're the one who really saved him when it all comes down to it. I know how hard it was for you to stand there and see all that blood and you did it without having the ground come up and slam you in the face. Honey, I'm so proud of you." By this time I was laughing and crying and I running my hands though his hair. Then he shouted out, "This woman saved my brother's life!"

Okay, so now I was getting embarrassed. I just laughed it off though because I was so relieved; it was like I was slap happy.

His expression turned dark when he glanced down and noticed I was still wearing the same clothes and I was covered with blood that was now dried.

"For Christ's sake, why didn't anyone get you something else to put on? Look at you!" He looked at his parents pointedly and shook his head. Then he grabbed my hand and said, "Come with me."

He towed me behind him into the surgeon's lounge and found some scrubs for me to put on. Then we went into another room and a nurse walked in and started giving him a hard time about me being in there and he lit into her and raked her over the coals. I'd never heard him speak to anyone like that and it totally shocked me.

He looked at me sheepishly and said, "Sorry about that. I don't always act the asshat in here but she pissed me off. Been a little stressed. Come on babe, I want you to get out of those messy clothes. You look like you've been in a scene in a horror movie."

"I feel like I have." Even though things were better, my insides still felt like someone was playing ride the roller coaster with my stomach.

I changed and we headed back out into the waiting room.

Pearce was giving everyone the rundown on both Justin and Terri when both of their respective surgeons came in and spoke to each family separately.

"Do you want to see Terri?" Pearce asked me.

"Is she awake?"

"Not yet."

"Then I'll wait. Her mom and dad need to be with her first anyway. They've been freaking out in here."

He pulled me next to him and we sat there for a while. Justin had some fractured ribs and some other internal injuries, along with a broken collar bone and a messed up shoulder. Pearce assured me he would be fine. He said if they hadn't been in the Range Rover and if the front and side air bags hadn't deployed, they wouldn't be here right now.

Terri was a different story. While her injuries were still considered critical and she was in the ICU, Pearce said she would be okay too. She'd ended up with a collapsed lung and an injured trachea. But her pelvis and right leg had been pretty much crushed. They'd patched her up but she would have to have a couple more surgeries to get her back in working order.

I gave a bit of a snort and Pearce looked at me oddly.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing she's dating an orthopedic surgeon."

He just rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, but he's gonna be out of commission for a while with that separated shoulder of his."

I went into the hand thing again and just got fixated on his. I grabbed them and held them tightly to me. The thought of something happening to him made me cringe.

"What?" he asked. He felt me shudder.

"I don't think I could stand it if something ever happened to you."

"Hey, I feel the same way."

I loved being in his arms.

"I need to ask you something," he said in my ear. His voice was low, throaty and smooth. I felt his breath fan my neck and I wanted to straddle him, kiss him and rip his scrubs off until he was sitting in front of me with nothing on but his beautiful skin.

"What?" I murmured.

"Did you really mean it?"

I was at a loss. "Mean what?"

"That you'd marry me?"

"Ask again and maybe you'll find out."

In one point two seconds, I found myself sitting on my ass facing Pearce as he knelt on one knee in front of me. He laced his fingers with mine and looked me boldly in the eyes. My heart started beating so fiercely, I felt it all the way in my throat.

"Alexia Hammond, would you do me the greatest honor and become my wife, my partner in life and walk side by side with me for the rest of our days here on Earth? I love you more than the air I breathe and without you beside me, I'm only half a man."

Doubt filled his eyes, a look I was profoundly shocked to see. This man, who lived and breathed confidence in everything he did, was still unsure of my answer. I jerked our clasped hands toward me and kissed his lips.

"Yes, yes, yes! I will marry you Pearce Middleton."

I was in his embrace and his lips were on mine and I barely noticed the clapping of everyone taking place in the room. All I wanted to do was to be alone with him. I wanted him all to myself so that I could show him with my hands, lips, mouth and the rest of me just how much he meant to me.

I felt him shift and he abruptly broke our kiss. His eyes smoldered as he looked at me. I was so moved by him my heart pounded and my breath caught in my throat.

"I'll always remember how you looked this day, right here, for the rest of my life." Then he leaned in and whispered in my ear, "I'm getting you out of here and taking you home. I need to be with you...really with you."

"Yes! I do too Pearce."

He rose to his feet and pulled me to mine and when we turned, everyone was just staring at us smiling. They all congratulated us, and we made a hasty departure. My face heated up because I knew they had a pretty good idea of what we were up to.

"I don't give a fuck," Pearce said when I told him, "I want to make love to my future wife and damn it Alexia, I can't wait another minute."

He hustled me out to the car and thankfully, he only lived about seven minutes away from the hospital. We were tearing our clothes off as soon as we closed the door to his house. By the time we got to the staircase, we were both naked and he was carrying me up the stairs. My legs were around his waist and he was kissing me.

"I'm sorry Alexia, but I need you now honey. I can't wait any longer."

"Same here. I didn't think we'd ever get here."

We never made it to the bed. He turned and put my back against the wall and was inside of me in one slick move. I wrapped my hands around his back, beneath his arms, and matched his movements. The way he swiveled his hips into mine as he thrust into me had my body reeling in sensation.

"Tell me again," he groaned. The emotions pouring from his eyes touched my heart and I knew exactly what he wanted...what he needed.

"I want to marry you Pearce Middleton. I love you so much."

"Ah Alexia. You're my world."

When the last word left his lips, my orgasm crashed into me and I cried out for him. He followed right behind me.

We stood together in that odd position for a lot longer than I would've thought possible. His arms still held me, but as he said, his hands cupped my ass so he was happy as hell.

When he finally moved away from the wall, it was only to walk the few steps that it took to take us to the bed. Pearce just flopped down, with me still wrapped around him and him still inside of me. He rolled on his side and just looked at me. He walked his fingers across my brows, down to my cheeks and across my lips, where he rubbed his thumb back and forth.

He finally said, "I'm the luckiest man that ever lived. Thank you Alexia."

I looked down for a minute because his words had stirred me so, I felt a gargantuan lump forming in my throat and my eyes were quickly filling up with water. I hated that this happened to me. I didn't want to get this emotional, dammit. I just couldn't help it though.

"What is it honey?"

"I'm so happy and I'm so honored that you fell in love with me."

He tilted my chin up and asked, "Why do you always look away when you cry?"

"Because I feel so foolish." I put my forehead on his chest.

"Don't ever feel foolish over anything around me, okay? I love you no matter what. I told you that from the very beginning and I meant it Alexia. I'm here till the end."

"I'm the luckiest girl alive. And I do feel honored. Thank you Pearce for putting up with me and all my issues. I love you."
CHAPTER TWENTY

It was pouring rain when we woke up in the morning. I was snuggled next to Pearce with my head on his chest.

"Good morning," he whispered as he kissed my hair. "I was getting ready to get up to head back to the hospital."

"I'm there with you."

"You didn't let me finish," he said, rubbing my back in those tiny circles that always made me hum. "I was going to say I was gonna shower until I started looking at you lying in my arms and then I realized I didn't want to go anywhere for a while."

"Hmm, sounds like you have a plan."

I felt his chest rumble as I was flipped onto my back. And boy did he ever have a plan. My guy had all sorts of plans. We did end up going to the hospital, but it was a couple of hours later.

The two patients were doing well...I should say as well as could be expected.

Terri looked like hell. Her face was bruised all up and she was in a cast from her waist on down. Well, half of her was anyway. It was too complicated to even try to explain. They were going to have to go in and pin something or other in her leg. Whatever Pearce was talking about was way over my head.

Justin was freaking out. All he wanted to do was to go and see Terri, but they wouldn't let him do that yet. He was really pissed off. Terri couldn't be moved either. Pearce tried to reason with him and ended up storming out of his room, throwing his hands up in the air.

"I'll go talk to him." I went in and Justin looked like he was about to lose it. "Hey, Justin, she's okay. I just left her room and she's resting comfortably. She's going to be fine. You know, the best way for you to help her is to get better. She going to need your help later...when she's out of here."

"It's all my fault this happened."

"No! It was an accident." I knew exactly how he felt.

"I was looking at her Lexi. I wasn't watching the road like I should have been."

Shitfuck! What to say to that?

"Look, Justin, everyone does that when they drive. A glance here or there. No one expects a deer to fly out of nowhere and crash into them. Whatever you do, don't blame this on yourself. And please trust me on this. I've been there. I know what you're going through. This is so not your fault."

He looked at me and the anguish and guilt in his eyes tore through me. I sat on the side of his bed, even though I probably shouldn't have and I picked up his hand in mine.

My voice was firm, not tender when I spoke. I knew I had to get his attention now. "You listen to me and you listen good. This was a fucking accident Justin. Nothing more. Yes, Terri is injured. No sugar coating that. Yeah, she's gonna go through some tough times ahead but she's also a tough cookie and she would be pissed as hell at you right now for blaming yourself for all of this. So stop it. You can't go down that road because if you do, it will fuck you up. Trust me on that. I have firsthand experience on this one and if you want, I'll share it with you one day. Are we clear on this?"

He looked at me like I wasn't who I was...like I was someone he didn't even know.

"Look, I'm sorry I you think I'm being a total ass, but I was driving in a car that crashed and someone ended up dying. I blamed myself for years. If it wasn't for someone that I recently met, fell in love with and would die for, I would still be blaming myself. I'm going to ask you one question and I want you to answer it honestly. Did you intend for your Range Rover to spin out and crash after you hit that deer and for Terri to get hurt?"

"Hell no!"

"Then you have to stop blaming yourself. That's why they call it an accident."

It was like a light bulb clicked on in his eyes and the tension flowed out of him.

In a small voice, he asked me, "Do you think she'll forgive me?"

"Justin, there's nothing to forgive."

I bent down, kissed his cheek and left his room.

Pearce was talking with his parents in the ICU waiting room when I joined them and they wanted to know Justin's status. I told them I think he was calmer now and we all decided we needed to grab some lunch since none of us had bothered with breakfast.

While we were eating, Susan brought up the wedding.

"Have you two set a date yet?"

"Um no."

"We haven't even talked about it Mom," Pearce said, coming to my rescue.

"Well, do you have any ideas of what you might want?"

"Mom! We haven't even begun to discuss it. This is going to be all about Alexia. It's her day."

"Wait Pearce, you get a say in all of this. I really don't care either way. I would like a small ceremony though."

"Honey, what about your family?" Susan wanted to know.

"Huh uh. They don't get invited. I'm not even telling them Susan."

Pearce and Susan exchanged glances and I knew what was coming so I headed them off before they even got the chance.

"Look you two, I know what you're both thinking. But seriously, my parents literally dumped me in my biggest time of need. They dragged me out of the funeral home after Peter died and screamed at me and told me it was all my fault and that I was the biggest disappointment of their lives. That was when I needed them the most and they pretty much kicked me to the ground. So at this point in my life after I've picked up the shattered pieces and glued myself back together, and only because of you Pearce, they don't get to share in this joy. They would only bring me back down to that horrid place I was and nothing on this Earth is going to spoil the most important day of my life."

All three of them stared at me and then Henry said, "I believe Lexi has made up her mind and I have to say I am on her side."

"So am I," Susan joined in.

Pearce smiled and agreed too.

"So," I went on, "I'd still like a small ceremony, and then you all can plan whatever kind of reception you have a mind to. I'm open for anything."

"Oh God Alexia, do you know what you've just done?"

"What?"

"You've given my mother permission to run the show and what a show it will be."

Susan sat there and grinned and rubbed her palms together. Henry watched her and laughed.

"We have to wait until Terri can walk you know. She'll be my maid of honor."

"I'm fine with that. With the way Justin acted, he'll be supervising her physical therapy."

Everyone laughed, although I worried about what Terri would have to endure. I knew she was in store for some difficult times.

Later that afternoon I texted my manager to ask him if he minded if I took the next day, Monday, off of work. I wanted to spend the day with Terri. They were transferring her from ICU to a regular room. He texted me back that it would be fine with him.

That night Pearce and I were sitting in bed and he was going over his schedule for the week. He had Monday off, but then he had call for the next five days. He'd linked his schedule with my calendar so I knew when he was on call.

"I have some errands to run in the morning. I'd like to take you to dinner tomorrow night to Josette's." It was the most exclusive restaurant in town.

"Really?"

"Um, yes. Is that okay?"

"You're kidding right? I've never been there. I'd love to go."

"Good. I made a reservation for seven. And Alexia, wear your bracelet." He smiled.

I instantly found myself squirming under the sheets. I looked at him and swallowed.

"What?" he asked, all innocent like.

"Put down that damn iPad now, or you might find you'll need to buy another one."

"Yes ma'am."

I was on him like a moist blanket, ready and willing. There was something about him...no everything about him...his smoky gray sexier-than-hell eyes, his full sensuous lips, the way he ran his tongue along them, his thick black wavy hair, his sculpted muscles and the way they rippled as he moved, his hips as he thrust into me and the sounds he made as we made love. There would never be enough Pearce for me.

"Fuck Alexia, you drive me wild."

When he talked to me while we made love, his voice was deep and husky and it turned me on even more. I leaned over him and kissed his neck and then started to nip at his ear. Then he went really crazy on me. He flipped me on my back and threw one leg over his shoulder as he rocked into me. I raked my nails across his back as the sensations became so intense.

And then came his words...the ones that always drove me over the edge.

"Alexia," he purred, "open your eyes and say the words for me."

I did as he commanded and the air suddenly thickened between us. I sucked in my breath at his beauty. "Oh Pearce, I love you." And I was falling over that cliff of ecstasy. He was right there with me as he laced his fingers with mine and held my hands above my head.

Then he started kissing me like a man who'd just been given water after he'd been dying of thirst.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

I was sitting in Terri's room telling her what had happened two nights ago. Her memory was a blur. She didn't remember much at all. Her voice was still hoarse, but luckily, her injury to her trachea was not as bad as Pearce had originally thought.

She was in and out of it because they had her on a morphine pump. It was a good thing too. I could only imagine the pain she was in. Every time she'd conk out, I'd head on over to Justin's room. His mood had improved over yesterday. They were going to move him out of ICU today. He was barking out orders to all the nurses. I guess whoever said that doctors make the worst patients, was right. Justin was not a very good one and I told him so.

"You need to calm down buddy. You're nurses are gonna put ExLax in your food or something in retaliation."

He looked at me and then burst into laughter.

"Oh God, don't make me laugh. My guts hurt like crazy."

"Well they should. Your brother had his fingers in there for at least an hour."

"What?"

"He didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

Fuck, me and my big mouth.

"I think you need to hear it from him."

"Give it up. Now Lexi."

I let out my breath in a gush. "You were bleeding. Like it was coming out in spurts. I had to hold a light and Pearce stuck his fingers inside of you and found where it was coming from. He held it closed until they got you here."

"No shit. Why didn't he tell me?"

"Because he's Pearce and that's the kind of stuff he does every day I suppose."

Justin rubbed his face and shook his head.

"Thanks for telling me Lexi."

I made a fist and held it out to him. "Can I just say Pearce was amazing that night? I never really knew what he did, you know, when he went to work every day. But he went into overdrive and you and Terri were in the best hands."

"Yeah, I know."

We shared a look, a very meaningful one.

"Hey Lexi?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're going to be my sister." He grinned.

"Me too!" I laughed.

I left the hospital late that afternoon and went home to my carriage house. When I got there, there were two Land Rovers in the driveway. One was black and one was silver. I wondered whose they were. I walked inside and Pearce was sitting on the couch watching TV. He got up and greeted me, smiling.

"Hi honey."

"Hi," I said as I kissed him.

"Here, this is for you. Or this, you take your pick."

He held out two keys.

"What is this?"

"Keys. To the Land Rovers."

"But Pearce, I don't need a new car," I protested.

"Yes you do. And so did I. You're precious cargo and there's no way in hell I want you driving back and forth to work in nothing less than that. After going over that accident in my mind, I realize that if we'd have been the car in front, if that deer had hit us, we'd have been killed Alexia. My 911 wouldn't have been able to handle that wreck. Justin's Range Rover came out of that intact. And because of that, they're alive. I'm selling the 911. You can give Lisbeth the Highlander back because I want you to have solid protection. And no arguments honey. Please, do this for my peace of mind. Okay?"

I nodded, "Okay." I wouldn't make him anxious over this. Never would I do that to him.

"So?" he asked.

"So what?"

"What color do you want?"

"Silver."

"That's what I thought. Here you go. I'll be here at seven. Or do you want to just come over. We're sleeping together tonight so you decide how you want to work it and in whose bed you want to sleep."

"I'll be at your place at six and just get ready over there. Okay."

"Perfect. Love you sweetheart."

"Love you back. See you then."

I didn't tell Pearce, but I had a three o'clock appointment with his friend, Phillip Sorensen, the psychiatrist he'd recommended a while back. If we were going to be married, I wanted to do my best to go into it as baggage free as possible.

I walked into Dr. Sorensen's office and I was totally nerved out by the whole thing. I wasn't sure about any of this. My last counseling experience was so awful, I wasn't so sure I was doing the right thing here.

His office door opened, he was ushering me in and telling me to make myself comfortable on one of the cushy leather chairs. He looked to be Pearce's age, and he was heavy set, blonde and blue-eyed. He wasn't much taller than I, about five feet eight or so, but he immediately made me feel at ease. I felt myself smiling at him.

"Hi Ms. Hammond it's great to meet you."

"Dr. Sorensen, same here."

"Okay, first things first. How would you like to be called?"

"I prefer Lexi."

"Okay, then. And please call me Phil. I like to dispense with formalities around here."

"There's another thing I want to get out of the way too. I know you realize that Pearce and I are very close. We go way back...and I mean way back...to kindergarten." He laughed. "But keep in mind, you and I have a professional relationship in this office. Everything that we discuss stays in here and I'm not at liberty to discuss this with him. Pearce would never, under any circumstances ask me about it either, but I just want you to be clear on this. Okay?"

"Phil, I didn't tell him I was coming."

"Oh. Can I ask why?"

"I guess I wanted to do this all on my own. I want our marriage to be as strong as it can be. I have a lot of issues so I wanted to see if I could start getting rid of some of them."

He asked some pointed questions about my past and things started centering around my parents. I halted everything and told him right then I would never make things right with them. I believed they were the ones that had done me wrong and I wouldn't be the one to extend the olive branch. He didn't have a problem with that which made me feel better. The other counselor I had gone to had tried to make me feel like I needed to keep trying to have a relationship with my parents, even though every time I did, I came back feeling like I'd been physically punched in the gut fifty times. Phil didn't do that. He accepted my feelings and moved forward. Our session ended with my story about the accident and how I'd felt afterward...the guilt and blame I carried.

Phil and I decided that I'd see him twice a week for starters and then we could adjust our schedules. I really felt good about him and told him so. I also told him about my last experience and that I was impressed by him already.

He laughed and said, "I wouldn't be too quick to say that yet. We've only just started Lexi. But I'd like to say something. I appreciate your willingness to be so open already. Many patients have problems with that and that can delay them getting better."

I thought about what he said all the way home. I knew my biggest problem was going to be telling him about my slutty days. I was just going to have forge through and get it over with when the time came.

I got home and jumped in the shower and quickly got ready for my night out with Pearce. I packed a bag, picked out work clothes for the next day and decided what to wear that night. I chose a black skirt with a pretty blue sleeveless silk blouse and a pair of black heels. I made sure I had the sex bracelet too.

Gathering all the papers for the Toyota, I ran across the yard and went to Lisbeth's. She was in her usual spot, so I pranced in and told her what Pearce had done.

"Under the circumstances, I can certainly understand that honey. But I gave you that car free and clear. So Alexia, dear, you sell it and keep the money."

"Good God Lisbeth, I couldn't do that! I only had it for a few months. It's brand new still and only has a couple of thousand miles on it."

"Well honey, why don't you do this then? Whenever you and Pearce decide to tie that knot, why don't you use that money for your wedding gown?"

I grinned at her. "News travels fast doesn't it? I was getting ready to tell you that next! But I would never spend that kind of money on a wedding dress Lisbeth!"

"Darling Alexia, you are marrying a Middleton and when you walk down that aisle, you will be swathed in Angel Sanchez if it's the last thing I make you do on this Earth. Now run along and take those keys and title with you. Have Pearce sell the damn car for you and you use that money for your bridal trousseau. You hear me young lady?"

"Yes ma'am!" I hugged her and went back to my carriage house. If there was one thing about Lisbeth, it was when she made up her mind about something, that was it. You were not going to get her to change it so I had learned early on to quit trying.

I was ready to head over to Pearce's early so I got in the car and went. His car wasn't there yet so I let myself in and made myself at home in his bed. I stretched out, intending just to relax a few moments but I must've fallen asleep, because I woke up to find him rubbing his scruffy face across my cheek.

"This is a nice surprise,"he said. "I wasn't expecting you till six."

"I know," I smiled as I stretched like a cat. I told him about Lisbeth and the car and he laughed.

"Gran will love that story. She loves it when Lisbeth parts with money."

"What's this about a trousseau? What the heck is that? I acted like I knew what it was. And who is Angel Sanchez?"

"A trousseau is just the clothing a bride gets for her wedding and honeymoon from what I understand. As for Angel Sanchez...no clue. You need to check with Ava on that one. My guess would be a fashion designer of some sort."

"Well, I'm not spending twenty grand on a dress."

"Babe, that car is probably worth closer to thirty five."

"What! Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I look at cars all the time."

"Shit. Do I even want to know how much that Land Rover cost?"

"Nope."

"Didn't think so. I can't even fathom this stuff."

"You don't have to. Let me worry about that, okay?"

"Who the hell would spend thirty five grand on a wedding gown and some clothes for their honeymoon or whatever?"

"Apparently Lisbeth would?"

"Fuck!"

"On another note, they moved Justin out of ICU this afternoon. Whatever you told him yesterday and today certainly seemed to help his disposition."

"I told him if he didn't stop acting like an ass, the nurses were going to put ExLax in his food."

Pearce flew wild with laughter. I also told him about how I spilled the beans on how he stopped Justin from bleeding to death. "I'm sorry. I thought he already knew."

He looked at me and something in his gaze altered and intensified. "You know," he started, his voice low, "I deal with this kind of shit all the time, but when it's your brother, and you're sitting there with your hands in him and you know if you move one centimeter, it could be over for him, everything changes Lex."

For a moment, we were back there at the scene looking at each other over Justin but this time it was different. This time I was able to put my arms around him, run my hands through his hair, touch his face and tell him again that I loved him with everything I have.

We went to dinner that night and it was amazing. It was a five course meal and I was floating on a cloud. Pearce had booked a private alcove in the restaurant. So it was just the two of us. They brought out champagne and the first course, which happened to be caviar and blinis with creme fraiche. I'd never eaten this before and was surprised at how the slightly salty taste of the caviar, blended with the blinis and richness of the creme fraiche simply melted in my mouth. He fed each one to me and I couldn't seem to get enough.

"Mmm, this is sooo good," I said as I licked my lips.

"One day, I'm going to blindfold you and feed you. I think it would be great fun to watch you enjoy food that way."

"You think so?"

"No, I know so. I love to watch you eat Alexia. It's a sexual thing for me. The way your mouth and lips move...I can't begin to explain it honey."

Damn, let's forget the meal. Take me home now!

"I know what you're thinking and no we're not leaving," he laughed.

I reached under the table for him, but he stopped me.

"Huh uh, that can't happen yet."

"Not fair," I whispered. "You already have me squirming."

"Good."

They came and cleared our plates and refilled our champagne glasses.

Pearce took a sip of his and then took my hand in his and kissed each of my fingers.

"The other day in the hospital, when I asked you to marry me, it was really the spur of the moment and not the most romantic thing I wanted it to be. So," he moved in front of me got down on his knee and continued, "Alexia, you're the only woman I'd ever want to spend the rest of my life with. When I tell you you're beautiful, I don't just mean your physical presence. I mean your heart and soul. I want you by my side always, for better or worse, in difficult times and in good times, to share laughter and grief, to have a family together, but most of all to be by my side day and night as my best friend. Will you do me the greatest honor of all and become my wife?" Then he pulled a black velvet box out of his pocket and opened it up. He took the ring out and slid it on my finger.

I gulped when I saw it. It was huge. I should have expected it to be, but seeing it sitting on my finger was quite a shock. It was an odd cut diamond surrounded by pave diamonds that ran down the band. It was a real stunner.

"It's an Asscher cut diamond. If you don't like it, you can exchange it," he quietly said.

"It's perfect Pearce. But will you do me the honor of becoming my husband because I'm not sure I deserve someone like you."

"I will and you do. You still didn't answer me though."

"Yes, I will be your wife. I would love nothing more."

"Do you like the ring? Really Alexia, because it can go back if you don't?"

Fuck! How could I not like this?

"Pearce, it's amazing. It's much more than I deserve."

"Honey, I'd give you the world. You ought to know that by now."

"I really love it. I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful ring ever. Now please kiss me before I cry."

His kiss was thankfully interrupted by our next course of she crab soup...and it was probably a good thing, or I'd have had him stripped down to nothing by now. My hands itched to yank his pants off and rip his shirt open so I could run my hands all over his luscious body.

The dinner was delicious and by the time dessert was served, I wanted to take it home in a to go box. I was literally dripping in anticipation of what was in store next. I knew there was something because Pearce kept fingering my bracelet and every time he did, he'd lift his smoky grays and I'd shudder.

The drive home, even though it was only a half mile long, was pure torture. Pearce kept touching that bracelet, and then he'd slide his hand up my leg, but stop right before he's get the that place that drove me crazy.

"You love to torture me, don't you?"

He gave a throaty laugh but didn't answer.

It was a balmy evening and by the time we hit the living area, he was half undressed. Strangely enough, I wasn't. He kissed and touched me, but my clothes had been left intact.

He pulled me upstairs and I followed him and we continued to climb until we were out on the widow's walk. I don't know when he had time to do it, but the whole roof was decorated with tiny lights, and they twinkled everywhere. He'd also brought up a bed and it was draped in sheer fabric, giving it a dream-like appearance.

"Oh my God. When did you do this?"

"I didn't. I had someone do it while we were at dinner."

"It's lovely. It's so perfect." It was the most romantic thing I'd ever seen.

"Not nearly as lovely as you. Now, my future bride, I'd like to undress you, and then lay you down upon this bed where I intend to make wild, passionate love to you."

"Wait. I need to say something first before things get out of hand between us."

He gave me a questioning look as he tilted his head.

"You set me on fire Pearce Middleton and when you do, all coherent thought leaves my mind, so I want to say this to you beforehand. You are the greatest thing that ever could have happened to me. I never imagined loving someone could be like this. I want you to know I'm seeing Phil because when I agreed to marry you, I want to be as un-fucked up as I possibly can. You deserve that. And I suppose I do too. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get me there. And I'm going to do it for the right reasons. That means not just for you, but for me too."

Shitfuckandhell!

If I thought his smile was perfect before, well, there was no describing it now. You'd have thought I just handed him the keys to heaven. Any maybe I did in his eyes.

He grabbed me and kissed me all the way to paradise and if I thought we'd had hot steamy sex before, well, Pearce Middleton put a whole new twist on it for me that night.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

A month later, Terri had gone through two more surgeries and it looked like she was done. Justin had been in the O.R. both times observing and apparently had driven his partners insane. They'd threatened to oust him if he didn't keep his mouth shut. She'd ended up with all sorts of metal...pins and screws and God knows what else.

Justin was on the mend, but not fast enough for everyone. He was making everyone around him nuts. His partners had banned him from the office. They told him if he tried to come in, they would put a temporary restraining order on him. Pearce finally sent me in to give him another "Alexia" chat as he called it.

I went to his house one day around lunch and knocked on the door. I didn't get an answer, so I tried the door, and it was unlocked so I let myself in. I walked in through the house, calling his name, but still didn't get a response. I began to get worried. So I headed toward his bedroom. The door was closed, so I assumed he must have been sleeping.

I pushed open the door and was so shocked at what I was seeing, I couldn't look away. It was like looking at that proverbial train wreck and being incapable of tearing your eyes away from the disaster.

Justin was in bed with not one, but two women. My brain couldn't process what I was seeing.

I don't know how long I stood there, but all of a sudden he looked at the doorway and our eyes locked. My hand immediately flew to my mouth. I tried to run out, but I stumbled backwards and crashed into the wall behind me.

"Lexi, wait."

Wait hell! Get me the fuck out of here.

I tried to get up but I couldn't get my footing. My sandals kept sliding across the wooden floor. I finally gave up and crawled away until I came to an area rug. Once I had some traction, I was able to stand, although I was shaking like a jackhammer trying to crack through concrete.

"Lexi!"

I screamed. He was right behind me and my heart was pounding so loudly I hadn't even heard him.

"Wait!"

"For what Justin? So you can tell me why you're in bed with two women? I don't really care to hear the reason for that and quite frankly it's none of my fucking business." I was screaming at him now.

"You don't understand."

"No, I don't." I turned away from him. But wait. I did understand. I'd been there hadn't I? And not that long ago. I heaved a heavy sigh. And then I faced him. "That's not exactly true. I do understand. Don't do this Justin. I know where you are and you have to stop. Please. Tell me something. Are you drinking?" I didn't have to ask because I could smell it on him and it was only lunch time.

He just stared back at me. I did the only thing I knew to do. I hugged him. Hard. And then I told him to sit his ass down. I went back into his bedroom and I broke up the girl orgy taking place.

They fussed and hollered but they finally left. I put on a pot of coffee and made Justin drink a huge glass of ice water while it was brewing.

"When was the last time you ate?"

"Yesterday."

I went back to his bedroom, ripped off his sheets and threw them into the wash. On my way back to the kitchen I asked him, "How many times?"

"I don't know." He rubbed his face.

"Yeah, you do."

"Ten."

I went back into the kitchen and I called Phil and made an appointment for Justin. He booked him for six that night. Then I made him breakfast. A three egg cheese omelet with toast and grits. He ate every bite...not because he wanted to either.

My boss needed to know I wouldn't be back at work that afternoon, so I sent him a text, claiming I'd been hit with a stomach bug.

When the sheets were done, I threw them into the dryer and made Justin take a shower. He looked like shit on a shingle. It was something my mom used to say and now I knew what it meant.

"Will you stay in here with me?"

"You don't mind?"

"Shit Lexi, you've seen me naked and fucking, what else do I have left?"

I winced. "Was that really necessary?" I was pissed.

"Sorry. I'm such a fuck!"

"Yeah, been there, done that too. Just don't fuck with me Justin. I'm trying to help you avoid what I went through, but I won't put up with you being vulgar or crass with me."

"God, I'm so sorry." He rubbed his scruffy face with his hands.

"Just get in the shower, okay?"

He stripped without modesty and bathed. I handed him a towel...not to be nice, but because I really didn't care to see him naked, even if it didn't bother him.

"Get dressed. We're gonna have a chat."

He finally showed up and I patted the seat next to me on the couch.

"If you weren't in this state, I'd never be sharing this with you. Only two other people know about this...Pearce and Terri. And honestly, I'm not sure how Pearce will feel when he finds out I've told you. But I want you to hear this so you don't make the same mistakes I did..."

And so the story went down. I didn't hold back anything. That afternoon, Justin Middleton learned the down, dirty and ugly about his soon to be sister-in-law. If I shocked him, he didn't act like it. I cried, then he cried, then we both cried together. He apologized for doing what he did and I told him I wasn't the one he needed to apologize to. He needed to apologize to himself, because that's who he was hurting.

I told him he had an appointment with Phil at six. I didn't give him an option of not going.

"You have too much to lose. You have a medical practice on the line here. You can't be drinking like this. You have to deal and cope with this. Women and alcohol won't solve the issues here. And, God forbid, you don't want to end up on the road to drugs. I'm here for you Justin, but I will not watch you throw away your life."

"You're exactly right. I'll go. You can even take me if you will."

He wasn't suggesting he was begging. "Of course I will. Let me call Pearce and let him know I'll be late."

"Thanks Lexi, I owe you. Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah.

"What do I do about Terri?"

"That not for me to decide. But if you stay with her, she needs to know what's been going on here. And I'm not the one that's going to tell her."

His face crumpled as I answered him.

********

Two weeks later I was at working, formulating another proposal for the Carolinas Healthcare System in Charlotte, which was a huge network of hospitals and physicians offices, when my manager called me into his office.

He sat me down and told me how pleased the company was with my progress so far and that they had decided to give me a promotion as Associate Director of Marketing.

"Huh?" I was dumbfounded.

He just smiled. "Lexi, your performance has been nothing short of exceptional. We've been toying with this idea for well over a year, but never had good reason to actually make it happen until you came on board. What you've done for this division is astounding. We've gotten more business because of you and our numbers will hit an unprecedented level this year, and, well if I had it my way, I'd give you your own damn division. Your protocol for attaining new business is the model for all our divisions now, so we think it's only fair that you receive the appropriate compensation. You are also getting a substantial pay increase and your own office. Come with me."

I followed him in a daze. This was so unexpected that I didn't think it was really happening. We stopped in front of an office that had my name and new title on it and I just laughed.

"Is this for real?" I asked.

"Yeah, but don't think you're getting off easy. Your work load has probably tripled, because now you'll need to hire an assistant."

He laughed at, I'm sure, the look on my face. I felt my eyes widen. "I don't know the first thing about hiring people."

"Lexi, that's what we have a Human Resources department for."

"Right," I said nodding.

"Why don't you take a break? I think there are some folks in the break room that would like to talk to you."

I was so not expecting this, but I followed him down the hall to the break room. Thinking there would be a handful of people in there, I was mortified to see the whole office crammed inside, with a big cake and balloons and party stuff all over.

I looked around the room, still not figuring this all out.

"It's a celebration party," Don, my manager said.

"Huh?" It still wasn't sinking in.

"Lexi, we're celebrating your promotion."

"Oh wow!" I didn't know what to say. My face instantly heated up and I felt the flush run from my head to my toes.

"Here's to Lexi and her promotion. May her golden touch extend to her new position as Associate Director of Marketing."

Everyone clapped and my face burned even hotter. Then I was surrounded by my coworkers as they congratulated me and patted me on the back. The cake was cut and pieces were passed around. Jokes started flying and everyone was having a grand time.

After a bit, I excused myself and headed to the restroom. On my way back to the party, I passed by a cubicle and I overheard two guys talking.

"Yeah, well, anything is possible when you're marrying into the owner's family."

"No kidding, right."

"We better treat her right 'cause we'll be working for her one day soon."

"Hey, I wonder if there are any Middleton women looking for husbands."

Then they both laughed. I couldn't move. My brain was processing this information and I was trying to piece this puzzle together. What did Pearce and the Middleton's have to do with MedSoft? I had to get to the bottom of this. I'd forgotten I'd been eavesdropping and didn't realize the conversation had ceased altogether, but suddenly I was faced to face with the two culprits.

I'm not sure who was more shocked, them or me. I didn't dare speak, because I knew that would admit guilt.

"Lexi, how long have you been standing there?" Greg asked.

"Long enough," I replied.

He looked at me, steady in the eyes, and said, "Don't tell me you didn't know."

"Know what?" I asked, playing dumb.

"That the Middleton's own MedSoft."

And there it was. I had to get away from these two guys before my anger went haywire. Why hadn't Pearce told me? He'd let me go on all these months and never mentioned it one single time.

"What does it matter?" I asked.

"Oh come on Lexi. Everyone here knows. They talk about it behind your back all the time."

Something clicked in my mind at that statement. Everything I had done here, everything I had worked for, I truly believed I had done on my own. Maybe I hadn't but dammit it all, I had worked my ass off here and no one was going to take credit for what I had done.

"Let's get one thing straight right now. I'm the one that comes to work here every day and I work my butt off trying to make this company a success. If you have an issue with my work ethic or my results, then fine, you can bring it up to me and we can discuss it all you want. But Greg, don't you ever bring my relationship with Pearce into this office again because my personal life is none of your damn business. Are we clear on this?"

Greg was clearly taken aback by my stance as he answered, "Yeah, we are."

"Do you have an issue with my work or my results?"

"No, I don't."

"Then I don't want to hear another word about this again." I turned and walked back to the party with a brittle smile pasted on my face.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

I drove straight to Pearce's after work. I knew he was home because I texted him before I left work. When I walked in the door, he knew something was wrong.

"What's happened?"

I looked at him, and I was so furious that tears puddled in my eyes. I abhorred getting like this...being so angry that I cried.

"Why didn't you tell me the Middleton's owned MedSoft?"

His face fell. That sight told me a million things that his words didn't.

"I'm sorry Alexia. I should have and I don't really know why I didn't."

Then I asked the one hundred thousand dollar question. "Were you responsible for me getting my job?"

"No, absolutely not."

"Did you have anything at all to do with it?"

"Yes. Lisbeth called me and told me you needed a job. She said you'd lost yours at the restaurant and were searching for one. I had her shoot me your resume and I took it to my uncle. I said I knew you but could not vouch for anything else. I asked him if he could at least see that you got an interview and that you were Lisbeth's personal assistant. He called Gran and she told him Lisbeth couldn't say enough about you. That was the extent of my involvement. I swear this to you Lexi. I would never lie to you about this."

Those damn eyes of his, those perfectly sexy eyes were telling me the truth. I would know it anywhere.

"Dammit Pearce, why the fuck didn't you tell me? I looked like a fool today when I found out."

Those stupid tears did it then, and gushed down my cheeks like a freakin' rainspout. I frantically tried to wipe them away, but there was a damn flood of them. I shook my head and bolted out the door. I made it as far as my car before those strong arms were hauling my ass back up the stairs.

He never said a word. He just made all those soft, sweet comforting noises that your mom makes when you're little and you fall off your bike and scrape your knees. I hadn't had that kind of comfort from her in so long, I just felt my fingers clinging to his shirt and anything else I could grab a hold of.

When the damn flash flood finally stopped, he handed me a handful of tissues and I wiped my face and blew my nose.

Wow, that was cool. Bucketfuls of tears and now a nose full of...eww, never mind.

I finally got up the nerve to look at him and I was trying to figure out what to say.

"Why do you do that to yourself?" he asked.

"What?" I sniffed.

"Self-torture. Babe, you know me well enough by now to know that if I ever do anything that involves you, I ask you first. I would never take it upon myself to insist on someone hiring you. Do you even know my uncle? The one that runs MedSoft?"

I shook my head because I had no idea what his name even was.

"Uncle Will is the biggest...let's just say, he doesn't do anything he doesn't want to. He wouldn't have hired you unless you had something to offer the company even if you'd been related to the Queen of England. I'm serious Alexia. He's a tough nut. So to say you were hired because you dated me was a joke to begin with. By the way, his name is William Bennington. His mom is a Middleton. So are you gonna tell me what happened?"

I didn't even want to talk about it anymore, but I knew I had to. I told him the whole icky mess.

"Shit Lex, I can't believe those two little fucking twerps ruined your celebration. You are amazing to have gotten that kind of promotion. I'm totally serious here. You can call my dad right now and he'll vouch for me and what I'm trying to tell you. Uncle Will had to approve your promotion, and knowing him, he's probably even forgotten that you and I know each other. We haven't had any formal engagement announcement party yet so I doubt he has a clue. He's gonna die when he finds out that his new Associate Marketing Director is my future wife."

Apparently Pearce's dad and "Uncle Will" weren't the best of friends. Not to mince words, as Pearce said, Henry thought Will was an ass! It was nice to hear that the big boss at the company you worked for was an ass.

Pearce was laughing at me. "Stop it! I have to work for the man and now he's going to be super hard on me."

"No, he won't Alexia. He's going to make sure you succeed, because he promoted you without knowing any of this. So he'll want us all to think he found this little gem all on his own. And honestly, by all rights, he really did. But honey, I'm so proud of you. I know how hard he can be to work for, and to see how you've excelled and grown. I'm wowed by it all."

"Yeah?"

"Oh yeah. I knew it was there and that you had the talent. I just wanted you to see it too Alexia."

"Is there anything else I need to know?"

"Yeah. I love you madly honey." And he kissed me.

After a minute, he pulled back and said, "Your lips taste salty from your tears. I'm so sorry I made you cry."

Wrapping me in his arms, he picked me up and carried me over to the couch, where he sat down and tucked me right next to him. "I know this is kinda lame, and now you probably don't feel like it, but is there anything you'd like to do to celebrate?"

"Yeah, sit right here and let you baby me."

"That can be done with no problem at all."

We decided to order in from the local Thai restaurant that delivered.

********

Memorial Day weekend rolled around and we'd all planned to hang out on Pearce's yacht on Saturday. Those plans were nixed though, because we woke up to pouring down rain. We all decided the right thing to do was to move the party over to Susan and Henry's.

Justin went to pick up Terri, which wasn't the easiest, because she was still wearing her cast and wasn't allowed to put any weight on her leg. Of course Justin was most attentive to that and made sure she followed her doctor's orders. Things weren't great with them, but I didn't ask and she didn't tell.

Henry and Pearce lugged out the Big Green Egg and started making ribs and all sorts of other smoked things. They both loved to cook on that thing and they always turned out award winning food.

Susan, Ava, Avery and I sat inside and discussed wedding plans. The following Saturday we were all, along with Lisbeth and Terri, going on a wedding dress hunt. I had several appointments at the top bridal shops in Charleston so it would be an all day affair.

"Ava, can you tell me who Angel Sanchez is?"

"Oh my God. You don't know?"

"No! Justin laughed at me and said he's a major league baseball player and Lisbeth says I'll be wearing a gown designed by him on my wedding day."

They all laughed, but Ava said, "Well, they're both right, but Lisbeth is dead on. You will be wearing Angel Sanchez on your wedding day. His gowns are to die for. Just wait and see."

"Darlin' have you and Pearce thought about the reception?" Avery asked.

"You know, we really haven't talked much about it. I want to leave it up to him. I don't have many requirements. You all know my family won't be involved so I think it's more important for Pearce and you all to make those decisions."

"Why Lexi, we'll hear none of that! This is your day and you get to decide!" Avery exclaimed.

"I think you misunderstand. I want to be involved and all, but as far as the venue and the number of guests, I'll leave that up to Pearce. I'll put in my two cents when it comes to music and decorations and that type of thing."

"What about the church?" Susan wanted to know.

"Well I was raised in the Episcopal Church too, so that's where I'd like for the ceremony to take place, if that suits you all."

The three women looked at each other and in unison all said, "St. Phillips."

"You don't mean that beautiful old church on Church Street, do you?"

"The one and only," Avery announced.

"Is that even possible?" I asked, doubt lacing my every word.

"Lexi, the Middleton's have been members there for generations. You and Pearce will be married there...that is if that's what you want dear."

I was in near shock. People all over the world would die to get married in that church. Okay, that was a huge exaggeration, but still.

"Hell yeah I wanna get married there!" They all let out a big whoop!

Pearce happened to be walking by at that time, stuck his head in the room and asked what in the world was going on. Avery informed him we were planning his wedding and he just laughed at us.

"You don't mind?" I asked him.

He headed straight for me, picked me up and said, "Honey, I'd marry you at the Elvis Chapel in Las Vegas if that's what you wanted." Then he gave me a loud lip smacking kiss. I giggled like a school girl.

"Before you run off, what are your thoughts about the reception?"

"Huge."

"Huh?"

"Huge. I want to show you off to everyone I know. And you'll have a ton of work colleagues you'll have to invite, plus all the family connections. Sorry sweetheart." He looked at me sheepishly.

"Oh, it's fine. But where should we have it?"

"I think I'm passing this one off to Mom and Gran." He backed away and smiled, making a hasty retreat.

"Always the pleaser he is," Avery observed.

"That he is," I said under my breath with a knowing smile.

We heard several voices and a big commotion which told me that Terri had arrived. It was quite a process because with her came a wheelchair, crutches and other various things. Her disposition had become quite snarly and I knew it was frustration over her situation of not being able to walk, but I hoped she didn't show that side of herself today.

Susan pulled me aside and mentioned that it might be good if I spent a little time with her alone at first, since this was her first visit here. I agreed so I cut Justin off before he wheeled her in the main living room and had him make a detour to the smaller one down the hall.

Once I got her parked, I shooed him out of the room and gave her a hug.

"Wow, quite the place here, huh?"

"Yeah, but you'll love his family. I wanted to talk a bit with you first and then take you on a mini tour since I can't push this contraption up the stairs."

"Yeah, no shit, huh?"

"So, how's Terri these days?"

Her answer plowed into me like a freight train and I wasn't expecting it. "Why the fuck don't you ask Justin, Lex? He can tell you. He can tell you how I feel about him whoring around."

I reeled with the vehemence of her words. "Terri, I..."

"Shut up Lex. You knew and didn't say a word to me. I have one question for you. Why?"

"It wasn't my place to tell you. It was Justin's. It was his sin, not mine. Just like it was my place to tell Pearce about mine."

Her face crumbled like a cookie with my answer. Then her whole body shook as she started to sob. I put my arms around her and told her how sorry I was. I knew she was hurt, but this was more than just a reaction to Justin's infidelity. I don't think they had even gotten to the point of exclusivity in their relationship, so this was coming from some place far deeper.

When things started to subside, she finally wheezed out, "Look how the tides have turned, huh?"

"Doesn't matter Terr. You were there for me and I'll always be here for you."

"I'm so fed up with this leg thing."

"Patience never was your virtue."

"No shit Herman."

"Um Terri, I think it's Sherlock."

"Oh." Then she giggled and we both started laughing. And then it got worse. It turned into one of those remember when moments. We were hooting before it was all over.

"Shit Lex, I shoulda come over here a long time ago."

"I tried, but you wouldn't move your ass out of your house."

I saw the lines etched around her eyes that weren't there before and it seemed that sparkle in her eyes wasn't quite as bright as it used to be.

"I'm sorry this has all been so awful on you. But maybe next week, when they take this tree trunk off your leg, things will get better."

"I'm really scared Lex. What if I can't walk right? What if I can't run anymore?"

"I think you need to take it a day at a time. What does Justin say?"

"We don't talk much really. As soon as this mess is over, I'm done with him."

I knew things were tough between them, but I didn't know it had come to this.

"Does he know?"

"Yep. He still blames himself and he overcompensates and then there's that whole thing with those women."

I sighed and didn't know what to say. If she felt that way about what he did, then I was thinking she really must have thought I was a scumbag. Throwing caution to the wind, I addressed that gray elephant.

"Did you think I was that low when I was behaving like that?"

"You had a reason to."

"And you don't think he did? So you think that while he sat and watched you go through surgery...surgery that may I remind you, he was familiar with because he performs those kinds of procedures and knows what they entail...and watched you in pain and agony for days and now sees how you're still dealing with it, that he didn't have reason to?"

Calm down Lex, shit you're yelling at the poor girl.

She looked at me like a deer caught in the headlights. I didn't stop.

"That's right Terri. He's watched you suffer now for three solid months and blames himself every time he looks at you. He's seeing a psychiatrist you know. You know how I know? I made him an appointment with the one that I go to. And right now, I'm thinking you need to go see Phil too.

I'm not justifying his actions by any means, but I am telling you that, given the circumstances, you were willing to cut me some slack. Why don't you do the same for him?"

"I don't know," she said.

"Look, if you're just not into him that's one thing, but if it's this whole accident thing, then maybe you need to reevaluate the situation."

"Maybe so."

"Well, I'm giving you a goal to shoot for."

She looked at me funny and said, "What are you talking about?"

I grinned an evil grin...well, as evil as I could muster up, which wasn't all that evil really. "Pearce and I want to get married in late October. We talked with Justin and he doesn't see any reason why you wouldn't be able to walk down to aisle then."

"So?"

"So that's your goal! To walk down the aisle at my wedding as my maid of honor!"

"No kidding! I think I can manage that."

"You'd better 'cause I'm not canceling this wedding. You're still planning on coming with us wedding gown shopping next Saturday?"

"Yeah baby! Wouldn't miss it for the world!"

********

We were happy to wake up to a sunny morning. Pearce hopped out of bed and was eager for me to get a move on. I got suspicious when he wouldn't tell me anything. He just kept saying it was a surprise.

"Wear a bathing suit and bring a change of clothes."

The beach? The boat? It had to be one or the other.

Thirty minutes later, we pulled up to the marina and I had my answer. I still couldn't figure out why he was acting like a little kid on Christmas morning. He jumped out of the car and jogged around to my door to help me out. Then we both went to the back to get our things and we walked toward the slip. He just kept grinning.

When we finally got to Pearce's yacht, the whole Middleton clan was there and Henry had a bottle of champagne in his hand. Everyone was grinning. I felt completely left out of the joke.

"Okay, what's up?"

They all just looked at Pearce and he kept glancing at the back of the boat and smiling. I just kept looking at him, not understanding.

In frustration, I finally said, "Would somebody let me in on the joke?"

Pearce came up to me and grabbed me in his arms, kissed me quickly and whispered, "Babe, this is no joke. It's a thing of utter beauty. Look!"

He grabbed my face and turned it in the direction of the back of the boat. I finally noticed the words, "The Alexia."

He'd renamed his yacht after me. My eyes pooled up.

"We're rededicating her today. It was supposed to be yesterday, but the weather didn't cooperate. Come on."

Henry said the words but I wouldn't let him ruin a perfectly good bottle of champagne or put a scratch on the bow of The Alexia. Everyone laughed at me. But when Pearce made mimosas with the champagne, they said that I had used my head on that one. It turned out to be a perfectly beautiful day.
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

The following Saturday, a rowdy group of Charleston socialites, minus myself, showed up at nine a.m. for my appointment at Maisie's Trousseau and Bridal Boutique. Apparently it was the it place in Charleston for couture wedding gowns and I was guaranteed to find my Angel Sanchez treasure, or so Ava and the gang assured me. I still wasn't sure about all of this but Pearce made me promise not to look at the price tag because he said he didn't give a bloody damn what my dress cost. He wanted me to be happy in whatever I chose. But boy it was hard ignoring those little pieces of cardboard dangling off the zippers.

Ava and Lisbeth were right about Angel. That man knew exactly what he was doing when it came to wedding gowns. They were utterly magnificent. The only problem was I liked them all. His designs weren't the standard strapless, sweetheart neckline, hourglass shape that every bride seemed to be clamoring for. They were gowns made for angels that were sexy, tasteful and unbelievably gorgeous. They flattered everything about the wearer, emphasizing every asset and hiding every flaw.

I finally settled on the first gown I tried on. It had an illusion neckline, making it appear sleeveless and off the shoulders, when it actually had sheer fabric that afforded a boat neckline. The dress was fitted and had fabric beads sewn onto it until it hit mid thigh where it was covered in layers of chiffon and stiff ribbon, giving it an ethereal look. All the women couldn't stop oohing over it. I couldn't tear my eyes off of it. It was perfect.

"Well this is the one."

Everyone clapped and I cried. Damn that made me mad. Now I had to try on veils. I opted for the one that matched the bottom of the dress. It was plain and simple with just a thin strip of that stiff ribbon that attached to my hair. The veil was the same fabric so it didn't detract from the dress. What I think I loved the most about this gown was it didn't have a train so I wouldn't have to worry about a bustle and all that mess during the reception.

Next I picked out shoes and I was finished.

"Well, girls, why don't you look at the bridesmaid's dresses. I kind of like the idea of everyone wearing the same color but a different dress.

I'd asked a friend of mine from work to be in the wedding as well. She could always come and pick out a dress later.

"Lex, what color were you thinking?"

I smiled. "I'm going to let you too haggle over it but I get the final decision."

"Yay," they both screamed.

Ava yelled out brown and Terri yelled out navy. I laughed. I liked both. Both girls liked either color too.

Avery piped in and said, "You know girls, since it's going to be October, brown would be gorgeous with some pretty autumn colored flowers to accent it."

"Ooh, that's right," Terri agreed. "I hadn't thought about it being autumn."

Avery took it one step further. "Why don't you girls look at that color bronze that's so popular."

Both their eyes lit up and they headed over to the bridesmaid dresses to look. The sales clerk, Rosa, came out and suggested they might rethink the bronze idea. Lots of manufacturers can't match up the color, unless they all wanted to wear the same dress.

"Back to brown ladies," I yelled. "Thanks Rosa."

By one, we were finished, so we headed to Pete's Cafe for some lunch. We were all starved, as shopping and trying on clothes makes one especially hungry. Terri was holding up pretty well in her wheelchair. Her cast was coming off the following week and she would be starting therapy. I knew she was scared so I think the shopping excursion was a good outing for her.

When we were finished, she called Justin and he was there a few minutes later, ready to take her home.

"Call me after your appointment on Monday," I told her.

"Okay."

"Thanks for coming. You know how much it meant to have you here with me, don't you?"

"Yeah. Love ya girl."

"Love you too." I hugged her hard and Justin put her in the car and off they went.

********

Work had cranked up like mad. I didn't know if was the summer months or because we were being awarded contracts left and right. We ended up getting Carolinas Healthcare System, so now I was working on Emory Healthcare System in Atlanta. Life was crazy.

Pearce was insanely busy too. Summer time brought in all sorts of trauma, a lot of it from boating accidents and other things people shied away from in the winter months.

Avery and Susan had decided that our wedding reception would have to take place at the Charleston Harbor and Yacht Club. And I don't just mean a room there. They were renting out the entire club.

"Are you sure? Won't that be too expensive?"

They both scoffed at me. "There's nothing too expensive for my first grandson's wedding honey. Remember, the two of you decided against Middleton Manor. That didn't leave us many options due to space restrictions. We needed huge because the guest list is over eight hundred."

I gulped, then gasped. What the fuck! Eight hundred. Surely I heard wrong.

"Did you just say eight hundred?"

"Uh huh sweetie. We did warn you didn't we? Or at least I thought we did. Didn't we warn her Susan?"

"I assumed Pearce told her."

I started fanning myself. I didn't even know eight hundred people. I didn't think I knew eight hundred people if I started adding them up from birth.

"Who are these people?"

"Oh honey, don't you worry yourself about them. They're just a bunch of local idiots."

"Avery," Susan admonished. "They're not all like that."

"No, there will be about twenty normal people there, and Lisbeth will be one of them," she said with a chuckle.

Shitfuckdamnhell!

"I'm going to kill him," I said out loud.

"What's that honey?"

"Nothing."

********

I was waiting on Pearce when he got in from work. My foot was tapping in a rhythmless fashion on the wooden floor and I was twitching like mad.

He looked at me and automatically smiled and then his face crashed to the floor.

"What happened? Are you sick?"

"Eight hundred fucking people? Are you out of your mind? What the fuck Pearce Middleton. How the hell am I supposed to even pretend I'm enjoying myself when I won't know who the hell I'm chatting with at any given moment." My eyes were darting around like a rat's looking to scurry at any minute.

"Deep breaths sweetheart. Breathe Alexia." His arms were around me and his breath was fanning my neck. "Come on, breathe with me honey. Inhale to the count of four, three, two, one and hold. Good now exhale to the count of four, three, two, one and now relax. Let's repeat." We did, over and over, until I felt that panicky feeling dissipate and my chest no longer was tight.

I rubbed my face against his cheek and sighed. "Better?" he wanted to know.

"Yeah, thanks. I didn't think the whole town was coming."

He just laughed. "Baby, I told you I'd take you to Elvis' Chapel in Vegas."

"Yeah and your family would've hated me forever."

"No one could hate you once they get to know you."

I grabbed two handfuls of his shirt and pulled him to me. "I missed you."

"Me too. As for the wedding, honey we didn't have much choice. It was just one of those things. But don't worry, I won't leave your side for a second and I'll be with you every step of the way."

I believed him because he'd never given me any reason not to trust him.
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

October first was here. Ava and I were going for a final dress fitting today. It was Saturday morning and I was getting married in exactly four weeks. I needed to pick out my underthings when I was there and I wanted it to be something really sexy. I'd get Ava to help me.

I put the gown on and cried. It was so lovely. This was one time I wish I had a mom who gave a shit about me. Well, okay, that's not exactly true. There had been many times, but it was my wedding dress for cryin' out loud. I'd even take my dad or my sister for Christ's sake. Or a step mom if I had one. I wish I had one...one that was nice and that cared about me because my mom sure as hell didn't.

Okay, time to move on. Ava was looking at me and she asked me if I was okay. Phil told me I needed to quit evading these types of questions with people I was close to so they didn't think I was distant. It would also let them know I was trying to deal with this issue.

"Just a back flash...a thought of my mom and how I wish she wasn't such a bitch."

"I get it and no worries." She smiled. She didn't know how lucky she was.

I purchased everything and we left. My dress would stay there until the day of the wedding, when they would steam it and deliver it to the church. That was nice of them because I was wondering how I would get into the car wearing the damn thing.

I dropped Ava off and headed back to my carriage house. I grabbed up the mail and went inside. There was one of those bubble envelopes addressed to me so I opened it and inside was a DVD.

Not thinking, I popped it into my DVD player and I stood there as it started playing, watching in horror, as I saw myself naked in bed with Beavis and Butthead. It wasn't so much that I was naked either. I was crawling all over the two of them like some animal. My hands, mouth and tongue were all over every part of them and theirs were all over me. My stomach suddenly lurched violently, sending me racing for the bathroom and I vomited into the toilet. It went on and on. Every time I thought of that fucking DVD...or maybe I should've said that fuck DVD, another spasm sent my stomach contents straight to the toilet. I seriously didn't think I'd ever stop throwing up.

When there was nothing left in my gut, I walked into the living room, ejected the DVD and smashed the DVD player into a million pieces. Then I picked up the TV and took it outside and threw it down on the driveway. I went back inside and found a hammer and beat on it some more.

I trudged back inside and looked at the envelope the fucking thing came in. No return address, of course. But I'd missed the typewritten note that had accompanied it.

Best wishes on your upcoming wedding Lexi. Maybe this will teach you not to fuck with me.

P.S. Your fiancé is getting his own little present.

The note fluttered through my fingers and flitted to the floor like a feather. I watched it like it was in slow motion.

I needed to call someone, but whom? Pearce was who I wanted to call...needed to call. But by now, I'm sure he regretted ever knowing me. I didn't want to bother Terri because she had her own problems to deal with and she didn't need this burden. There wasn't anyone else who I knew except Justin, and I couldn't call him.

I had to go to Pearce's, at least to let him tell me good-bye or whatever. I'd make it easy on him because he never deserved this. And then maybe I'd call Phil. I really didn't know how I would survive this. I would have to move away from here. By now, this shit was probably all over the internet.

Not even bothering to grab my purse or lock the door, I took Pearce's keys so I could give them back to him and walked the few blocks to his house. When I went inside, I didn't have to be told he'd gotten his copy. His big screen TV was busted up into tiny pieces, just like my little one was.

Glancing around the room, I let the memories of all the wonderful times we had in here wash over me like a soothing balm. God I loved this home. It was more than just a house to me. It was a place where I'd always felt safe and welcome. Where I knew I could find peace and serenity. Where Pearce's arms would be open and waiting for me.

The tears were dripping off my chin before I even realized I was crying. There was one thing I had to do before I left this house for the last time. I decided I wanted to spend time up on the widow's walk. Grabbing Pearce's iPod and miniature speakers, I ran up the two flights of stairs and walked outside. It was a warm October day and I plopped down with a thud in the middle of the floor. I hunted the music I knew would be on a playlist somewhere from the night we got engaged...the beautiful night we spent up here. It was mostly classical music with some romantic tunes mixed in. Why I was torturing myself, I couldn't answer. The only thing I knew was this would be the last chance I would have to spend up here, so I wanted to do it remembering our special night.

The music haunted me so. I could see his face as he brought me here in the moonlight and surprised me with all the decorations he had planned. The bed draped in soft gauzy fabric and the tiny white lights that twinkled. The candlelight, but mostly Pearce...his face, his touch, his lips, his scent, the way only he could make me feel. I sobbed then. Curling up into a ball, I wanted the world to go away and just let me stay here forever.

It was dusk when I woke up, his iPod clutched in my hand. I'm not even sure what woke me. The music was still playing, loudly, and all of a sudden, the door flew open and there he stood.

My swollen eyes were a dead giveaway that I'd been crying all afternoon.

"Shit Alexia." His voice made me shiver. Then the tears started streaming again.

"I'm so fucking sorry Pearce." I took my ring off and handed it to him. "Here. This is yours and you should have it back. I don't want this to be hard on you. All of this, every single bit of it is my fault, and I'll bear the responsibility for it."

"You're giving me my ring back? Why?"

"So you won't have to marry me. I don't want to be an embarrassment to you or your family."

"Fuck that Alexia. I'll take the ring back, but only if you don't want to marry me 'cause I don't want to live without you. I keep telling you...I'm here till the end. When are you going to start listening?"

"Huh? Didn't you get that DVD?"

"Yeah, those fucking shits. Did you get my texts?"

"No."

"I've been texting you all afternoon. I wondered why you hadn't answered. I just got done with John and I went to your place and found your car and purse but no you. I started to freak."

None of this was making any sense to me. If he saw the DVD, he saw what I did. That I was...oh God. My hand flew to my mouth and I stood up. My eyes cast around, looking for a place to hurl. I knew I wouldn't make it to the bathroom.

"What is it?" his voice was laced with concern.

"Sick," was all I could get out before I just gagged. Since I hadn't eaten anything and had all but gotten everything out before, nothing came up. I guess there was nothing left.

"Jeez, Lex, you okay?" He stood behind me, one arm around my waist, the other holding my hair.

I shuddered. I didn't think I'd ever be okay.

"Come on baby, I'm gonna take you inside." He lifted me in his arms and I was lying in his bed with a cool cloth on my head in minutes. I just lay there and cried. I couldn't stop.

"Pearce, I really need you to hold me right now. Just hold me tight. I'm so scared."

"Okay, sweetheart. But please don't be scared. I've got you Lex and I'm not going to let anything hurt you again. Will you do me a huge huge favor?"

"Yeah. What is it?"

"Will you let me put your ring back on you?"

I smiled and stuck out my finger. I was shivering from all the crap I went through, but when his warm strong arms wound themselves around me, I felt instantly better.

"Ahh, this feels so good. I was so cold."

"I can tell. Your teeth are chattering."

"Who's John?"

"The family attorney. I went straight to him with this. He called the police. They're tracking this down and they now think there may be a connection with your abduction. They're scanning internet sites to see when this shows up. This is illegal as hell Alexia. They didn't have your permission. You know where they live. You know his tag number and we're going to find him and press charges."

"I feel so dirty Pearce."

He didn't say anything for a long moment...a very long moment.

"Alexia, I won't lie and say it was my finest moment to see you in that DVD."

"No, please stop." I couldn't hear him talk about it. I just couldn't bear to hear about it from him lips.

"We have to Lex. If we don't talk about it, it will eat us alive later on. Don't you understand that?"

"But I'm so embarrassed by it. I saw myself and I was sick Pearce, violently sick. I didn't think I'd ever stop throwing up."

"I think I understand."

"No, you don't. What if it had been you in the tape. Then how would you feel."

"Probably like you feel now."

The fact that this man was holding me in his arms, in his bed and still wanted me to be his wife told me more than I would ever need to know about him for the rest of my life.

"I thought I'd lost you over this."

"Hardly. There's only one thing that would cause us to lose each other.

"Yeah? What?"

"Think about it."

My eyelids became too heavy to keep open so I gave up the fight and drifted off.

He was chasing me and I was running as fast as I could but it was no use. His creepy laughter echoed in my ears as he got closer and closer. I could hear his labored breathing which was a miracle because I was breathing so hard I felt like I was drawing in air through a straw. His steel like fingers gripped my shoulder so hard, I cried out in pain.

"Gotcha," he laughed, the nasty sound grating across my skin. I started to scream and fight, trying to break his hold on me.

Then I felt something I loved against my cheek, something smooth and warm, and I heard a deep voice speak softly to me. "Alexia, wake up sweetheart."

Warm arms embraced me and strong yet gentle hands cupped my face. My eyelids fluttered open to see Pearce's face, inches from mine.

"I was so scared," I whispered.

"Shh, it was only a dream."

"Not that. I was so scared today. Of losing you. Of how I thought you would want me gone. Of living my life without you." I trembled.

He brushed the backs of his fingers across my cheeks. "Never! I don't ever want you gone. That dream messed with you. What was it?"

"He was chasing me and caught me. I tried to fight him off, but you woke me in time."

"Then I'll always have to wake you in time."

I clasped my hands together and twisted them. I looked at him and then back at my hands.

"What?" he asked. He knew me better than I knew myself.

"We have to tell your family."

He scrubbed his face and sat up against the headboard of the bed. Pulling me against him. "I know. I'm going to do it."

"No, I am."

"I don't think..."

I cut him off by putting my hand on his lips. Then I picked up one of his hands and placed it over my heart. "This is yours. Forever. But I won't have us get in the way of your relationship with your family. I've never had that. I envy what you have with them. It's my responsibility to tell all of them, including Avery. I did it, I fucked up. Not you."

He pulled me on his lap and put his forehead against mine. "I'll do it if you can't. I'll be with you to hold your hand and whatever else you need me to do."

"Pearce, can I ask you something and will you answer me honestly?"

"Yeah, always."

"Do you still love me? I mean really love me?"

"Of course I do."

"When we make love...when we'll be together naked, and I'll have my mouth on you everywhere, and my tongue on you, will you be able to love me like you did before today?"

"Yes, because that girl I saw in the DVD wasn't my Alexia. She may have looked like her, but honey, that wasn't you. Do you hear what I'm saying to you?"

I nodded, got up and went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth. I got back in bed next to him and kissed him. I needed him more than I ever needed him before. I had to prove to myself things were okay between us. If they weren't I would leave tonight and save him the humiliation of dealing with his family.

I was so scared...so scared he wouldn't want me. When I kissed him, I was shy, like it was the first time I'd ever kissed anyone.

"Oh God Alexia, honey. You don't really believe me, do you? I guess I'm gonna have to show you then."

He pushed me on my back and crawled up my body. Then he unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans and slid them off my hips. I felt the cool air hit my skin and goose bumps erupted all over me. He skimmed his hand across my belly and bent to tease my belly button with his tongue.

"Give me your hand," he commanded, in a sexy whisper.

I held it out to him and he put it up against himself. "Does this feel like someone who doesn't want you?" Then he unzipped his pants and his erection was quickly in my hand as it sprang free from its jail of confinement. "Now what do you think?"

My panties disappeared and I didn't even notice because my heart was hammering so loudly and I was panting like a mad woman in the middle of an asthma attack.

"Kiss me," he demanded.

I sat up and did as he instructed. His tongue invaded every sense in my body, by that single kiss. It left no doubt in my mind that he wanted me as desperately as I wanted him.

His hands, his mouth and his tongue were doing things to me I had never experienced with him before. I thought I had, but I guess I was wrong. His teeth left tiny marks in inconspicuous spots that I didn't find until days later, and when I did, I just grinned.

By the time he slid his length into me, I was in tears, begging him for it. When he did, he did it with the single minded devotion of ensuring that I knew he was there with me in body, mind and soul. In all the times we had been together and of all the times we'd made love, I'd never felt so loved as I did that night.

"Alexia," he said, "you're going to come for me aren't you?"

"Ah, God yeah Pearce."

"Look at me then, because I want you to know this."

I opened my eyes, looked into his and he said, "Alexia, I don't give a fuck what you've done in the past because you're all mine now. I'll love you always and I'll be here till the end."

I exploded around him, holding him to me, calling his name over and over and I never wanted this moment to end.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

John Remington, the Middleton family attorney, woke us up at seven the next morning. The DVD was all over the internet and I was throwing up all over again.

Pearce called Phil and he came over. He prescribed some Xanax to calm my nerves. I didn't want to take anything, but I could barely function. Everything on my body rattled...my hands, my legs, my guts, my brain. I was unraveling at light speed.

Pearce held onto my hand and wouldn't let it go for a second. Phil looked at him and asked him pointedly, "Are you in this for the long haul because if you're not, you need to bail right here and now?"

"What the fuck Phil?"

"Lexi is a patient of mine and I'm only looking out for her best interests," Phil said in his professional psychiatrist's voice.

"Fuck that! Alexia is going to be my wife and I'm looking out for her bests interests too!" Pearce exclaimed.

Phil beamed. "That's what I thought you'd say, but I had to find out for sure."

"Damn, I thought you were being a major douchebag."

Phil surprised us both by saying, "I'm going with you to your parents'...just saying."

"Then let's get this over with. John should be on his way. Alexia, are you ready?"

I looked up at him and shrugged. I didn't know what I was anymore. He picked me up and carried me.

"Pearce, when we get to your mom and dad's, let me walk, okay?"

"Depends."

"On what?"

"Whether I want you out of my arms."

I wanted to laugh, I really did, but it only came out as a grunt.

We pulled in the Middleton's driveway, with Phil behind us. About a minute later, John was there. I really wanted the Earth to swallow me up.

Pearce looked at John and said, "She wants to tell them so how's it going to work?"

"I'll start it out and she'll know when to come in." John turned to me and smiled. "We're going to get those bastards Alexia, don't worry.

Getting everyone gathered took a bit longer than I'd hoped. My frayed nerves took a bigger beating because of it. My fingernails no longer had any polish on them because I had scraped every last bit off. My lips were ragged from the constant chewing they were getting and the palms of my hands had wounds on them from the way I kept clenching my fists. And that was the least of my worries.

John started the whole thing off about how I was being blackmailed and threatened. He told the family about the DVD that was now circulating on the internet and how the police were involved. Pearce had given me some tissues and it was a good thing because they were getting good use.

John punted to me and I caught it. I didn't hold anything back. I told them about the rough days and what I'd done, skimming over that part but they did hear most of the sordid details of the DVD. I ended my story with opening the package in the mail and watching the DVD. I had to excuse myself at that point because I became ill and Pearce ran after me to the bathroom. After my guts were emptied, we headed back to the wolves.

"Did Pearce know about all of this?" Susan asked pointedly.

Pearce went to answer, but I stopped him. I told them that Pearce wanted to tell them this story, but I wouldn't let him. It was mine to tell and tell it I would.

"Yes, he knew...all of it. Before we dated. He knew everything about me. I never withheld any information."

I told them they could ask him themselves if they wanted. There was no blackmail on my part.

Then the room became perfectly silent. Ava was crying as was Susan. Henry looked like a marble statue. Avery just looked back and forth between Pearce and myself.

Finally, Henry said, "Under the circumstances, I think the wedding should be postponed."

Pearce leaped to his feet this time and yelled, "I disagree. This doesn't change a thing for Alexia and me. We still love each other the way we always did. We're not letting this get in the way.

Susan protested, "But how do we know she's not after your money?"

"I don't give a damn about the money. Cut me off. I'm a surgeon. I make a decent living and we can live just fine on that. Alexia doesn't give a rat's ass about the money either!" Pearce yelled.

"That's the last thing Lexi cares about," Justin yelled as he strode into the room. "I can vouch for her."

"I'd like to say something please." It was Avery who spoke. "I believe I have more experience in judging character and integrity in a person than anyone here and I've been observing these two young people now for the last few minutes. Pearce is hovering over her like a mother hen, waiting to attack the next person that dares to move against his girl. Alexia has walked into this nest of hornets and boldly told us what has happened. That takes a lot more gumption than I ever had at her age."

Susan interrupted Avery before she had a chance to finish. "That's all well and good but Lexi's reputation could ruin Pearce's."

"I think it's my turn to say something again," I piped in. "There's one thing you're missing in this whole equation. I would take a bullet for this man standing next to me and if anyone dares try to ruin anything, including his reputation, they'll have to go through me first. Mine's already been dragged through the mud so I don't give a flying fuck what they say about me. But when it comes to Pearce, they better put on their boxing gloves." My breath was coming out in pants. How dare anyone suggest someone would try to ruin him because of me?

"Mom, Dad, Alexia has been through the ringer with this guy who's stalking her. He's abducted her, stabbed her and left her for dead on the side of the road on Johns Island."

"What?" they both yelled in unison. They never knew about the original attack so this hit them below the belt. John explained to them the horrible story and then told them how the police were trying to catch this guy. Their looks changed from hostility to pity, which I really didn't want right now. I massaged my temples with trembling fingers and briefly wondered if I'd ever feel normal again. I zoned out for a minute while their conversation buzzed around me. Pearce must have noticed because he tucked me into his side and put my head against his shoulder.

He leaned in and asked me if I was okay, did I need anything, or could he get me something to drink? I just shook my head. This whole exchange had zapped the crap out of me.

I felt Pearce's arms go around me and lift me up and then I heard his voice say, "Look, Alexia and I are getting married on October 29. We'll either do it as originally planned, or we'll go somewhere. I really doesn't matter to me and I know it doesn't matter to her. What matters is that we marry and she becomes my wife and I become her husband. Y'all can keep bickering. I'm taking her home so she can sleep." He walked out, put me in the car and we went back to his house.
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

Pearce put me in bed and I slept the day away. When I woke up, I was in a panic because I remembered that when I left my house yesterday, I hadn't bothered to lock my door and my purse was inside.

"I should've brought it here yesterday, but I didn't know where you were at the time," he said.

Throwing on his running shoes, Pearce was out the door and headed over there to check things out. It was only thirty minutes and he was back with an overnight bag, my purse, cellphone and keys. Everything had been just fine. He told me he saw the smashed up TV in the driveway, so he cleaned it up for me, as well as the DVD player in the living room.

When I looked at my cell phone, I saw the eight missed texts from Pearce and just smiled.

"Come over here please." He came and sat on the bed. I was still sleepy, but he assured me I'd be better the next day. "Thanks for taking such good care of me." I kissed him and just let him hold me.

"Are you hungry?"

"You know what I want?"

"What sweetheart?"

"Chicken soup from Omie's."

"You got it."

I sunk back into the soft bed and wrapped his pillow around me so I could smell him. Oh lordy did I ever love that man.

********

On Sunday, Pearce, John and I sat around and planned my damage control. John was convinced we had our guy. They had his name and address, courtesy of you know who, and they were getting things lined up for the search warrant. The DVD was going to work in our favor. Without it, the judge wouldn't have signed the search warrant.

I couldn't work on Monday. That was the day they were planning to search his house. They wanted me protected, just in case something didn't go right, because they were hoping to get all the accomplices too.

Thank God for Phil. The Xanax was making this all bearable. I was no longer shaking like a leaf in a hurricane, but one at the beach on a breezy day instead. I was beginning to worry about my weight too. If I didn't start eating soon, my wedding dress was going to hang on me. Pearce brought home a variety of Ben and Jerry's for me to nibble on whenever the urge struck.

Henry and Susan came by to check on us. They apologized and told us they wanted us to be together no matter what. If Pearce was happy, they were happy. I was too stressed out to get excited, but I promised we'd talk about it later.

Monday arrived and I could barely breathe. I felt like a ten ton monster was standing on my chest. I'd never felt this way before and I didn't want to again. I was afraid of every little noise, creak, shadow, what have you. This was no way to live.

My nails had gone from long and pretty to short and jagged in a matter of two days. My teeth had gnawed them down to the quick and it was weird because I'd never been one to bite my nails before. Pearce was constantly tugging my hands out of my mouth.

"Honey, I don't give a bloody damn about your nails. I just don't want you to get sick before the wedding."

Ever the doctor, worried about germs.

Pearce tried every kind of distraction he could conjure up. When he'd suggested watching a movie, we both broke down, first laughing like crazy because his TV was smashed up along with his DVD player, but then I started crying like a baby. The stress had finally reached its boiling point with me.

"Go ahead and cry, scream, throw things if you want, but I can't stand to see you all torn up about this Lex. It's going to be fine. You have the best team of attorneys and I promise they're going to get this guy," he swore to me.

He carried me up the stairs and snuggled me next to him until I calmed down again. That was the place where I felt the best, right by his side.

It wasn't until late in the afternoon when we got the call. John wanted us to go down to the Police Department.

Pearce looked at me and wondered if I was willing to go.

"Hell yes," I said. "That fucker has taken up too much space in my head as it is."

He smiled crookedly at me and we headed out the door. The Charleston PD was only a few minutes away and John met us at the entrance. He was smiling, so I knew the news was good.

"We got him, Alexia. Follow me."

He took us to a small conference styled room and a few minutes later, three detectives came in. One of them I had met a year ago when he interrogated me in the hospital. He looked at me awkwardly and said, "Ms. Hammond, thanks for coming in. We owe you for this. I'd also like to apologize for my behavior last year while you were in the hospital. I'm sorry."

"Look, that's old news," I responded. I wanted to get this show on the road. "Tell me what's going on." I shot straight to the point. I wasn't in the mood for chitchat right now.

"The suspect has been apprehended, along with five accomplices. Daniel Simpson...will be charged with multiple counts. In your case alone, he and his cohorts will be charged with aggravated assault and battery with the intent to kill, kidnapping, computer crime, cyber bullying, extortion, harassment, intent to rape, sexual assault, stalking, and conspiracy to commit all of the above. The other thing I might mention is he is also being charged with the murder of Ms. Melanie Gordon. We found video tapes of her in his home and she's been missing since around the time of your attack last year."

"Jesus," was all Pearce could say. Then I was in his arms, laughing and crying all at once. Relieved but thinking that it could've been me. I don't know who came into that room that night, the night I was tied up and fighting and kicking, but whoever it was, stopped those fuckers. I didn't end up dead like Melanie, but I think Daniel Simpson would have kept coming after me because I was the one who got free.

I turned away from Pearce and asked the detective, because it was a question that had been bugging me forever. Who knew if he had an answer, but I had to ask anyway.

"Why me detective? Why did he do all of this?"

"Ms. Hammond, the thing is, we think he was drugging the girls. We know there was coke and other things involved, but we think he was slipping something in their drinks, like rohypnol."

Pearce piped in and said, "You mean roofies, the date rape drug?"

"The one and the same. For some reason, Ms. Hammond woke up before they did, and they weren't expecting that. She ruined their plans."

Pearce rubbed his chin for a moment and asked, "Well, if that's the case, how could she..." he looked at me with a dark look, and then pulled me tightly to him, like he was afraid I'd bolt out the door or something. "Then how was she able to perform like she did in the video?"

"We think that DVD was a hoax to get back at her because everything this creep tried to do to her backfired. So he had some girl come in that he made up to look like Ms. Hammond and they acted it out. If you took the time to analyze the DVD, which I'm sure neither of you did and I don't blame you for that, you would've noticed how blurred everything was. It was all intentional. All the other DVD's in this guy's possession were crystal clear. This one was edited to look that way."

The only thing I wanted to do right now was yell and scream and I did just that. "Woohoo!"

Pearce laughed and so did John. The detectives smiled. I don't think they had any idea of what I'd been through the last two days.

"Are we through here?" Pearce asked.

"As a bird," John said. "Alexia, we'll need you to testify at the trial. Is that okay?"

I just laughed. "As long as it doesn't interfere with my wedding or honeymoon. Let's get out of here," I said as I grabbed Pearce's arm.

There was only one place I wanted to go and I told him so. "No detours, stops, nothing. Straight there and I don't care if we stay there till next week."

He just grinned. "I'm glad my girl's back."

"Me too."
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

At six in the evening on October twenty ninth, I stood at the entrance of St. Phillip's Church. The doors were closed so I couldn't see inside, but the place was crammed with guests. We couldn't invite everyone to the ceremony that had been invited to the reception, because the church simply wasn't big enough.

Charlestonian's tongues would be wagging in about two minutes. I was waiting for my escort to arrive. I was breaking tradition. Big time. I didn't care. My dad would not get this honor. They didn't even get an invitation to the wedding. Two weeks ago, I finally got a call from them. They gushed all over me and told me how excited they were about my upcoming marriage. They must've read about it somewhere, because they certainly didn't hear it from me.

Phil and I had discussed this and he was actually on my side here. They hadn't supported me in my most urgent time of need but had kicked me to the curb instead. The truth of it was, or at least we sort of figured it anyway, was they wanted me to have a place in society so they could have one too. When I told them I didn't want to marry Peter, they became angry with me. After his death, well, I was nothing to them because I had removed any chance for them to move up the societal ladder.

Well, imagine when they heard that I was marrying a Middleton! Suddenly, the daughter they'd disowned could offer them a chance at everything they'd always wanted. I don't think so. Nope, it so wasn't happening. They weren't using me anymore.

So, no dad to walk me down the aisle, but I had something much better, I noted as my escort arrived.

"Well, didn't I tell you that you'd be something swathed in Angel Sanchez on your wedding day?" Lisbeth asked.

I laughed. "And look at you!" She also wore Angel and she looked stunning in a gunmetal gray gown.

"Come on honey. Let's get you down the aisle and give Charleston something new to talk about. You nervous?"

"Huh uh."

"Good, 'cause this old lady couldn't hold you up if you started to fall or something."

"Lisbeth, you're lots of things, but old will never be one of them!"

The wedding director nodded, the music was playing and the huge wooden door swung open. I took a few steps and found myself in the narthex of the church. The second set of doors were already opened and Terri was walking down the aisle. You wouldn't have known she could barely walk five months ago.

Then it was my turn. I lifted my head and there he stood, dressed in a black tux, looking perfectly gorgeous and waiting for me. I felt Lisbeth grab my arm and whisper, "Don't you dare run up that aisle Alexia. I know you can't wait to get your hands on him and quite frankly he is one fine man, but this is your only chance to show off your Angel Sanchez so you're going to take this walk nice and slow. You understand me?"

"Yes ma'am," I said with a giggle.

That was the longest damn walk I ever took in my life, but it was worth every step because by the time I made it to his side, he was dazed. I almost had to click my fingers in front of his face to get a response from him. Lisbeth cleared her throat twice before he took my hand from hers and escorted me up to the altar.

Then he bent his head and whispered in my ear, "I've never been speechless in my life until today. You are beyond exquisite Alexia. I will never forget the way you looked today walking towards me to take me as your husband."

I melted on the spot...turned into jelly right there. I wanted to throw myself at him and I didn't care that we were in the middle of a ton of people and it was our wedding. I wanted to turn around and throw my bouquet in the air and yell out how much I loved him. But I did none of that then...I waited until later.

We had a traditional ceremony but at the end we each whispered something to the other that we wanted to say.

Pearce turned to me and said, "I knew you were my forever girl the first time I saw you. I told you then that I'd be here forever and I'll tell you now. I'm here till the end Alexia, with you by my side always."

When it was my turn, I put one of my hands on his face and said, "I'm glad you were persistent because I don't know how I could live without you by my side every day. I didn't know happiness until I met you. My heart is only half without you Pearce, and I'm here till the end too."

Then we kissed and it wasn't the usual wedding kiss. We really kissed. People started laughing. We finally pulled away and the priest announced us as Dr. and Mrs. Henry Pearce Middleton the fifth. We walked down the aisle and out of the church and were whisked away for pictures.

Before they started though, he towed me to a little nook. "I had envisioned what you would look like today, but Alexia, there are no adequate words that can even come close to describing you. Your beauty just flows from you and when I look at you, like now, my emotions are..." he swallowed and his eyes were smoldering with passion. "God Lex, I don't know if I'll be able to keep my hands off of you tonight."

"Pearce," I murmured. When he spoke like that, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to keep my hands off of him. I kissed him, which probably wasn't the best idea, but I couldn't help myself.

We heard our names and he said, "Damn!"

"Maybe in the limo."

"I'll figure something out. Alexia, I love the hell out of you."

I beamed at him. "I love the hell out of you too Pearce."

********

We managed to get through the pictures, but I was squirming by the time we were finished. Even Terri noticed.

"You okay? You look flushed."

"I'm fine," I answered. "Just excited."

"I don't blame you. It's going to be great tonight."

"Don't I know it!"

I laughed to myself because she was missing my double entendres.

Pearce and I were in the limo and he told the limo driver to take a little spin.

"Sweetheart," he began, his voice full and hoarse, "Do you think you can sit on my lap without damaging your dress?"

"I'll try anything."

"Panties?"

"You'll have to find out for yourself," I said with a wink.

He did and we had a pre-reception party of our own. Thankfully, the limo had tinted windows and a partition between the back and the front. I'm not sure if it was soundproof, but I threw all caution aside. It was our wedding day, dammit.

Dress was fine, lipstick wiped off of Pearce and reapplied to my lips, nose powdered and everything was in perfect order when we climbed out of the limo. We had some questioning looks, which we totally ignored. Hors d'oeuvres were being passed around and tables of them were set up everywhere. Champagne was being handed out on trays, as well as red and white wine. There were also several open bars available for non-wine drinkers.

Pearce and I didn't want a seated dinner. We both felt it made the evening too stifled. We wanted lots of music and dancing and more time to visit with everyone. So after the hors d'oeuvres course, the tables were laden with all sorts of things like lobster tails and king crab legs. Filet mignon, shrimp and grits, grilled salmon on a plank and pork tenderloin were also served. There were a variety of vegetables and salads available along with fruits and cheeses, and she crab soup as well.

Sometime during the night, just like Pearce predicted, Uncle Will came up to us and took credit for the little gem he found in me at MedSoft. But he did tell me that big things were happening there all because of me and I could be expecting another promotion soon.

Pearce and I danced and ate and had the grandest time until Susan pulled me aside and told me it was time to change.

Pearce and I followed her to a room where I could change. He began the painstaking process of unbuttoning the twenty five cloth covered buttons in the back of my gown and when he was finished, I stepped out of my dress. He stood there gaping at me, getting his first glance of me in my bustier and matching thong.

"Oh Alexia." His husky voice always made my skin flush with heat.

I started to put on another outfit.

"Please don't...not yet anyway," he begged. I smiled at his expression. "I've imagined all evening what you might be wearing beneath that lovely gown, but I didn't even come close."

In one long stride he was in front of me and I was in his arms, being thoroughly kissed by my husband.

Then he released me and said, "Hmm, I think it was worth the wait."

He held up my other dress for me. It was another Angel Sanchez, but an above the knee, sleeveless navy blue silk. It was dressy but could go either way. I had dark navy Louboutin platform pumps to match.

I walked out of the room, my arm linked with Pearce's. He turned and pulled me into his arms and started kissing me. And kissing me. And kissing me.

"Mmm, Mrs. Middleton. I think I love you."

"Well, that's a relief since you just married me!"

"You two better get a move on. The crowd is getting restless."

I didn't know what Susan meant until we walked outside. All the guests were lined up with sparklers and bird seed and bubbles and all sorts of stuff.

We said our good-byes to the family and left. Pearce wouldn't tell me where we were going, and he had Ava and Terri pack for me so I had no idea where our honeymoon was going to be.

We boarded the G5 and it was filled with all sorts of food and drinks. Mitch was there as well as a copilot named Mark and a flight engineer named Ryan. There were also two fight attendants, Roy and Kathie. They were both older than us, maybe in their late forties.

The lightbulb fired then. With all these people on board, we must be going somewhere a bit further than an hour or two away.

"Um Pearce, are you going to give me any clues yet?"

"Baby, I've been giving you clues all over the place. You just haven't picked up on them."

"What do you mean?"

He just smiled. "You tired, hungry or thirsty? Whatever you want, just tell Roy or Kathie and they'll take care of you."

"I am a bit tired," I said.

"As soon as we hit ten thousand feet, we can go to sleep in the cabin. Mitch likes for us to be strapped in until then. Just recline your chair. The feet go up too."

I did as he suggested and was out. We must have hit some bumps or something because I woke up when my head bobbed.

"Hey, you want to sleep on the bed?"

"Yeah. That sounds great."

He unbuckled me and I followed him to the back of the cabin. We slipped in between the sheets and I was sleeping again.

Something kept tickling my feet. I'd kick it and there it was back again. In annoyance, I opened my eyes, intending to get rid of the offensive thing that was interrupting my sleep and found it was Pearce, lightly running his fingers up the arch of my foot.

"I thought you were a bug. I was getting ready to squash you," I said, grumpily.

The covers were thrown off of me and my legs were spread as he started to lick and nip his way up the insides of my inner thighs. A little while later, I'd forgotten I was grumpy, or that he'd awakened me because I'd officially become a member of the mile high club with Pearce Middleton.

We got dressed and headed out into the main cabin when he said, "Now will you please take a good look around you and try to guess where you are going on your honeymoon, Mrs. Middleton?"

The table was set with a plate of cheeses, olives and an antipasto tray. There was San Pelligrino water, a chilled bottle of prosecco and one of pinot grigio. There was a loaf of ciabatta with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. A menu was on the table that listed chicken marsala and chicken limone as the choices.

"Oh my God! We're going to Italy!" I launched myself at him and knocked him into a seat. He laughed as he grabbed me.

"It took you long enough. I kept thinking you'd see the Laurie Meyer painting of Cinque Terre I had placed over there," he said gesturing to his left.

"I totally missed that!"

"Tell me about it! And then you fell asleep like you were in a freakin' coma. I paced out here for forty-five minutes before I finally went in and woke you up. Damn, you know how to torture a guy. I've had this thing planned for months and it's been killing me not to tell you!"

I laughed and laughed. "Oh my God, Pearce. I can't believe we're going to Italy!" It was really sinking in now.

"Yeah, for a month. I'm gonna pay for it when we get back 'cause I'll be on call forever but I figured anything less than a month wouldn't be worth it."

"Have I told you today that I love you?"

"Um, only twice and that's not nearly enough. So you're gonna have to do way better than that."

"Okay. I love you Pearce Middleton. You know, my life was on the edge of disaster before you walked in, swept me off my feet and changed things forever. I'll love you till the end."

"And I'll love you till the end Alexia."

THE END

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A.M. Hargrove lives in South Carolina with her husband and family. After spending years in the corporate world, she now enjoys writing fiction while she is fully caffeinated. She also thinks coffee and chocolate should be added to the USDA food groups.

If you enjoyed EDGE of DISASTER, you can find other books by A.M. Hargrove on Smashwords and anywhere ebooks are sold.

Her other books include The GUARDIANS OF VESTURON Series (SURVIVAL, RESURRECTION, DETERMINANT, BEGINNINGS and soon to be released reEMERGENT), and DARK WALTZ (A PRAESTANI NOVEL)

You can stalk A.M. Hargrove at

Her blog at www.amhargrove.blogspot.com

Her website at www.amhargrove.com

Twitter at www.twitter.com/amhargrove1

Facebook at www.facebook.com/guardiansofvesturon

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www.facebook.com/anne.m.hargrove

Goodreads at www.goodreads.com/amhargrove1

You can email her at annie@amhargrove.com

