Her father had once said, to her brother Peter as he always spoke to the oldest son, that life was too short to regret anything.
She closed her eyes. She'd never manipulate to get her way. She was not someone who betrayed everyone's trust. She was not her father. With her hands clenched, she fought a tear of regret. She'd never steal, and Colt had promised another woman marriage. She must have a beautiful diamond ring that symbolized his commitment. If she had a symbol of his love, she'd never take it off. Vicki's bare fingers ached, and she rested her head on the door to let the thoughts go.
Nothing moved. With a bolt of energy, she breathed and let the tingle in her chest grow. Visions of a stolen life flashed in vivid color in her head, and Vicki closed her eyes. Every limb in her body shook. She opened her eyes. With heavy steps, she took one footstep at a time toward the bathroom. She'd not sleep, and maybe water would wash away her whimpers.
Her cold body sweat made her uncomfortable, but she splashed water on her face. The cold, clean water relaxed her.
The lightheadedness went away in the steam of the shower. In the morning, she'd have to find a way to face Colt. Tomorrow, she'd stare up into his sexy brown eyes and handsome face... She coughed uncontrollably.
The lights flickered as she stepped out of the shower. The howl of the wind rattled the shutters. Vicki wrapped her towel around her fast. The hurricane must be getting worse. She threw her tee shirt back on, and covered herself with the towel. Thirty seconds later, she heard a crash and sat. In that second, the house and everything inside went black.
Total darkness of a room without any windows surrounded her. She stood and wished she'd asked Colt for a flashlight. She knew better, but she had to check on Clara again. With one ginger step after another, she made it to the door and stumbled forward into her bedroom.
Without warning, the door opened as a light shone in her room.
"Vicki?" Colt asked. "Are you okay?"
How was he now awake? She blinked and gritted her teeth. Then she bunched the t-shirt lower, as her legs and panties were showing. "Yeah. I was in the shower. Do you have a flashlight to give me?"
He tucked his hands in his pocket and rocked on his feet. His face was red. "I mean, did something just happen? I had a strange dream."
Seriously? He asked now? Her toes curled, and she lost her ability to breathe. Her chin trembled, and as she started to speak, a squeak came out instead. "No. Nothing extraordinary happened, but I could use a light to get dressed."
Why had she said that?
He turned and left the doorframe. The small light from the open door helped her reach around her bed to find her boxer shorts. She fumbled, and almost fell face first onto the bed, but she braced herself. Finally she slipped the boxers on and returned to the door and the light that shone in the living room. Colt waited for her. Her lips curled as she stared into Colt's sexy eyes.
"I should have knocked, Vicki. You're right. And I...errr...did bring you a flashlight." He took a tentative step forward and placed it on the dresser near the door. She smelled oak and oranges, and the smell alone sent a beam of light through her that calmed her nerves. She pressed her lips together as he stepped into the living area again. Then, without looking at her, he ran his hands through his hair. "I need to be sure, and you always say no at first. Did something happen between us earlier?"
Oh God. She gulped, crossed her arms, and said in a high-pitched voice, "What do you think happened?"
He crossed his arms too, shook his head, and then closed his eyes. "I'm not sure. I must have been having a dream. Forget it."
The door closed, and she hyperventilated.
She squeezed her eyes shut, fell onto her bed, and curled into the fetal position. Her lips, aching from pleasure earlier, now shook with embarrassment.
"I have to tell him the truth." Her voice evened, and she nodded to herself. A kiss was just a kiss, and her father's lessons shouldn't haunt her. Until Colt returned, all her growth to be a better person had to stand for something, but she refused to become someone she wasn't.
At the door, she picked up the flashlight and followed him out.
The hall was pitch black, and no one stirred. "Colt?"
He didn't answer. She flashed her light to his bedroom door, and saw the door was closed. He must have gone to sleep.
Delay wasn't good. She stood still, unsure what else to do, but he needed sleep. More wind and rain shook the shutters. Who knew what the outside was like once the storm cleared? Finally, she turned on her heels and went to check on Clara and then go to bed. In the morning, they'd talk.
#
Much later, she had fallen asleep. The house stayed dark, but she struggled in her bed. Her skin was sticky now that the house was warming like an oven with no air conditioning. Vicki sat again, and her ears perked up to hear any noise. None came.
The storm must have passed, or they were in the eye. There was nothing she could do to change the temperature. Was the house still asleep?
She stretched on her feet. She missed sunlight and cool air. As she left her room, she found her flashlight, and stalked to the kitchen. Again, quietness greeted her ears. No one was up. With no electricity, she couldn't make herself coffee, unless Colt had the camping gear out. She twirled the flashlight, but saw nothing. So instead she reached into the refrigerator to retrieve a box of cereal. Like most people in South Florida, Colt kept the open food in the fridge to avoid attracting ants.
As she closed the door, she stopped. The milk would go bad soon, so she took it out of the fridge.
Sighing, she found a bowl and made herself breakfast.
Her daughter might want cereal with milk, so she left it on the table. Clara was why she was here, not Colt. Today she told him the truth, and she'd have to keep her priorities in check. His kiss wasn't meant for her.
She munched on the cereal. Last night shouldn't have happened, and she'd make sure she never kissed him again.
CHAPTER SIX
Colt woke up in a cold sweat. Last night he'd had the most visceral dreams he'd experienced in a long time. And once again, Vicki Morgan starred in his most erotic dreams and memories. Her sweet smell of flowers, and lips that tasted like rosewater had his body reeling. He cupped his head and listened to the morning rain.
The last woman he should touch was Victoria. He rubbed his eyes, and his mind raced to his fiancée, Belle. She'd have him up and on an assignment. The image of Vicki laughing with Clara then popped in his head.