Chapter 140

RIVER'S EDGE

Cord was nursing a second beer as he loaded more wood into the fire. The flames were flickering a hot orange and red, the scent of burning firewood soothing as it crackled and popped in the silence.

A loud knock came to the door, interrupting his fantasy of him and Ellie curled onto the rug in front of the glowing fire, her naked beneath him, her lips meeting his. The lights were off, his scars hidden, the look in her eyes loving instead of repulsed because she couldn't really see him in the dark.

The knock came again, this time louder and with more force.

Dammit. He had no idea who'd be showing up this time of day. His team was on a search and rescue mission and Ellie was attending the funeral service for Claire Woodston and her daughters. He didn't do funerals, all that crying and carrying on. Besides, she'd probably be going home to take care of Derrick. The poor guy would need time to recover from his injury and Ellie would no doubt smother him with tender loving care.

Holy hell, he was pathetic. He was actually envious of a man with a broken back. He was seriously fucked in the head.

The pounding grew louder. "Cord, it's Ellie. I know you're home so let me in."

His heart practically jumped out of his body. Was Ellie okay? In danger again?

Had something else happened in the case? Was there a new murderer in town?

Sweating now, he jogged to the door. He hated that he smelled of beer but if Ellie was in danger, nothing else mattered except helping her.

He threw open the door, his heart racing like a man on crack. Only his crack was fear.

"El, you all right?" The words spewed out in a guttural panic as he saw her standing on the stoop, tugging her coat around her in the cold. She looked mad as hell.

Still, she was so damn beautiful it almost brought him to his knees.

"No, I'm not all right," she said as she elbowed her way inside.

He stumbled slightly, confused, as she slammed the door and paced across his living room. Her feet pounded the floor, her body bathed in firelight, her angry face as bright as the red flames in the fire.

"What's wrong?"

She paced some more, arms folded, eyes boring into his. Then she dropped her coat on a bar stool, turned and faced them, a rage simmering beneath her demeanor. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Cord felt like his head had been stomped on. "Tell you what?"

She paced again, then parked her hands on her hip. "Don't act dumb. And why did I have to hear this from Bryce?" Her voice rose an octave. " Bryce , of all people."

The venom in her voice cut through him like a knife. But he forced himself not to react. He'd never seen Ellie this furious. At least not at him.

He gently stopped her pacing by rubbing her arms. "What are you talking about?"

She cursed. "That you aren't getting married. That you're not the father of Lola's baby."

His body went totally still. A tense heartbeat passed. "Because I didn't think it mattered to you."

She searched his face then threw her hands into the air. "Why wouldn't you think it mattered?"

"Because you're with Fox," he said flatly.

"I'm not with Derrick," Ellie said, her eyebrow arched.

"You're not?"

"No. We're just friends."

They simply stared at each other for a tense long minute.

He had to summon the courage to tell her the truth.

"What happened?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter," he said, although Lola's deception still stung. "And for the record I was going to tell you, but you didn't take my calls for a while after the last case. And when I came to the station to find you, you were gone." His breath heaved out. "And then I found you at the falls…"

Ellie's eyes filled with tears. Cord was really worried now. Ellie never cried.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, still confused.

Ellie's lip quivered and she slapped his chest. "Why do sexy men have to be such big buffoons?"

He was getting whiplash. She'd called him a buffoon.

But she'd also said the word sexy. Granted, it didn't exactly sound like a compliment. But hell, he'd go with it.

"You think I'm sexy." A smile twitched at his lips, and he tilted his head to search her face. She had said sexy, hadn't she?

She sighed, long-winded and exasperated. For a moment, he thought he'd messed up. Then her eyes began to sparkle. "Out of all that, that's what you heard?"

She slid her hands around his neck and toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck.

"A buffoon, yes, and sexy… well…"

His gaze latched with hers, heat sizzling between them. A heat he'd felt for a long time.

One he hadn't acted on before. One he should douse now.

The truth would do it. She needed a reality check. "I have scars, Ellie," he murmured. "A lot of them."

Emotions filled her eye then she pressed one hand to his chest. Then her own. When she spoke, her voice was so soft he barely heard her.

"So do I, Cord."

They stood there for what seemed like forever. Staring into each other's eyes. Questions lingering. Heat rising. His body beginning to tingle.

Her anger slowly faded. A smile creased her lips. Then a teasing sultry look softened her face.

God help him, but he lifted his hand and tugged the ponytail holder from her hair. Her lips parted. A breathy sigh escaped.

And he closed his lips over hers.

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