A Fine Line Read online

  “That’s not what I meant,” she said with fire blazing in her eyes.

  “Fishing for compliments?” He chuckled.

  “How dare you.”

  He lifted one shoulder and let it drop. “Not many women our age have legs that look as good as yours.”

  Her hands curled into balls at her waist. “That’s all you saw?”

  He shook his head and changed the subject. “Here, drink your juice and when you’re finished, I’ll help you.” He handed her the glass. “What are you trying to do?”

  “Get dressed.”

  He lifted her suitcase from the floor and put it next to her on the bed. “Now, what would you like?”

  She rummaged through her suitcase one more time. “I thought I’d packed some sweats, but I guess I didn’t.”

  He strode over to his suitcase and produced a pair. “Try these, I’m sure they will be big, but they should be soft and comfortable.”

  “I’m not wearing your clothes.”

  He shot her a grin. “What if I gave them to you?”

  “I’m not accepting any gifts.”

  “Fine, be that way.” He dropped the sweats back into his suitcase.

  She leaned over and removed a pair of jeans and a long sleeved shirt.

  “I’m going to assume you want some privacy.” Rich grabbed his coat. “I’ll be outside. Don’t try to get up and walk around.” He pulled the door shut a little harder than necessary. He needed to cool off anyway.

  Chloe stared at the door as a blast of icy cold air made her shiver. Then she looked around the room. She was frustrated, and she felt terrible, slightly nauseated, and very weak. Her throat was dry and parched. Unsure of how long he’d be gone, she dressed quickly. What she really wanted was another cup of coffee. She started to make her way across the room, but collapsed into a chair. The room swam. Putting her elbows on her knees and her head into her hands, she tried to make the movement stop.

  The doorknob turned and cold air permeated the room.

  “What are you doing up?”

  “I wanted more coffee, but I didn’t make that far.”

  “Here, I’ll get it for you.” He pulled off his coat and grabbed her cup. “I told you not to get up.”

  “I’m not going to have you wait on me.” He looked as good to her in pair of jeans and a denim shirt as he did in his pin-stripped suit. Gym junkie. She would have laughed if she’d had more energy. She tried to hit the company gym as often as she could. She liked the endorphin high and the way she looked.

  “Until you are well enough to function you’re going to have to put up with me.” He handed her the cup of coffee as he sat on the sofa across from her.

  She narrowed her eyes and studied him. “Dickie, what have you done to me? I want the truth.”

  “Nothing. I’ve taken care of you. I’ve tried to keep you covered, and I’ve tried to keep from dwelling on what I have seen of your body. But I’ve never once done anything sexual to you, and I’m sure that’s what you are insinuating.”

  She raised her gaze without raising her head. Every shred of memory was only filled with kindness from him, yet she couldn’t let go of the deep-seated hatred from so long ago. “I don’t trust you.”

  “I’m sorry, Chloe. You’re going to have to trust me and believe what I’ve told you.”

  She finished her coffee and put her cup on the table beside her before slithering down in the chair and resting her head on its cushioned arm.

  “Oh, no you don’t, you’re going back to bed.” He picked her up and carried her even though she protested. “If you were truly healthy you would have never allowed me to do that.”

  She almost didn’t want him to put her down. The rumble of his chest when he spoke was like soft corduroy on a cold morning. His strong arms wrapped her in a secure embrace. She put her arms around his neck and basked in his warmth.

  “Catch a nap. Michael Bergen is going to stop by this afternoon with some supplies. I told him you were sick.”

  She let go of him and settled into her bed.

  Was that a smile Rich detected on her face when he set her down? Maybe she was coming around, but he couldn’t be certain. He’d never be able to convince her that he’d brought her there so they could talk unhindered. It was never meant as a ploy to seduce you.

  Thoughts spun through his brain and mixed with old memories. His teenage crush on her had never subsided, and being with her for the last few days had fueled a more adult desire. A distant truck noise made him look out the window.

  “The cell phone didn’t work until this morning or I would have had more out here sooner. The ice is melting and it’s supposed to warm up.” He looked back at her once and then opened the door. Bringing you here might have been the biggest mistake in my career.

  ~~~ Four~~~

  “She’s really sick?” Michael Bergen asked as he jumped out of his big pickup truck.

  “Yes, without a thermometer I have no idea how high her fever was, but it was dangerously high. The cell phone wasn’t working so I couldn’t even call for help.” He shook his head. “Personally, I don’t know if an ambulance could have gotten out here.”

  “They manage. Remember we’re used to snow and ice. I feel bad. We get these late storms once in a while. Did you lose electricity?”

  “Not once, not even a flicker.”

  “You’re lucky. We lost it at the house. I’d better check the propane tank while I’m here.”

  The ice melting from the roof sounded as if it were pouring rain. Rich shook his head in disbelief. He was standing outside in only a shirt and was quite comfortable.

  “You’ve got plenty of fuel.” Michael said as he came around from the side of the building. “I’ve got the supplies you wanted in the truck. I picked up a couple of steaks figuring you’d toss them on the grill. Have any idea when you’ll be leaving?”

  “Not exactly, depends on when she’s feeling well enough to travel. I figure a few more days.” He gathered the bags from the back of the truck. “If she’s up to it tomorrow, we’ll take a look at a few fields. I’m going to take it one day at a time. Thanks, what do I owe you?”

  “I billed NUAgra.”

  “Thanks, again.” He took the things into the cabin and quietly unloaded the groceries and other items. He poured himself a glass of pineapple orange juice and watched her sleep.

  We were kids. You were the one who got vicious. He pondered why he even liked her. A smile crossed his face. She was cute, heaven with killer curves on two feet. What guy wouldn’t have noticed her? But mostly she had brains. He decided that was what made her even more attractive. He never had the looks or the clothes to compete for her. But why did you hate me? Why do you still hate me?

  ***

  Chloe rolled over and stared at Rich’s back. “Dickie? Are you asleep?”

  “I must have dozed off. What do you need?”

  Her tummy rumbled. “I want to get up, and I’m starving.”

  He was at her side in a flash. “Where to?”

  “Bathroom and then the kitchen.”

  “Okay, I’ll stay at your side. Do you think you can do it?”

  She stood and looked around the cabin. The place was neat as a pin and quite cozy. “The room isn’t swimming anymore.”

  “Good.”

  She put her hand on his shoulder and walked to the bathroom. “I’ll be fine.”

  He nodded and waited until she came out.

  She held his shoulder again as they made their way to the kitchen table. “What is there to eat?”

  He opened the cabinet and read off the various foods and then told her what was in the refrigerator.

  “Applesauce, and bread with butter?” she asked. It sounded delicious - comfort food that would slide down her still raw throat.

  “No problem. Do you want bread or would you prefer one of the rolls?”

  “Bread with butter.”

  He sat with her and watched her scoff down the applesauce.


  “Would you like more?”

  She nodded as she chomped on her buttered bread. “I need to get on my computer. I’m sure I’ve got messages that need answering.”

  “They can wait until you’re up to it.”

  “I am. My head isn’t killing me, but my throat is still sore. Not as bad as it was.” She tried to rationalize what had transpired for the last few days and figured she should have been angry with him, but she wasn’t. He was being very nice to her.

  She thought back over the last fifteen years and could only remember one time she’d missed a day of work. She’d probably had food poisoning, but at the time, she was too sick to even think. Her husband had treated her like a leper and wouldn’t do a thing to help her. The memory of her ex made her wince.

  “You okay?”

  Rich’s words pulled her from her thoughts. She nodded.

  “I got more of this for you.” He handed her the Motrin.

  “Thanks, I’ll take some.”

  Here she was with her childhood nemesis. He was treating her like a queen and waiting on her every desire. It seemed as though she only had to open her eyes and he brought her water to cool her throat. She remembered his arm around her waist as she made her way to the bathroom. His behavior was that of a gentleman, and he was still pampering her.

  He retrieved her laptop and set it up for her at the table. Soon they were both working. When he finished he told her to pack up her computer because he wasn’t going to allow her to work any longer. “Would you like a steak from the grill? It’s the only way I know how to cook them.”

  “Yes. That sounds delicious. May I help?” Her voice wasn’t as gritty and her throat wasn’t burning.

  “No. You’re still sick. I want you to rest.” He opened the refrigerator door. “Mind if I grill some corn on the cob?”

  “Sounds yummy.” She smiled at him. Maybe he wasn’t handsome in the traditional sense, but he had matured into a very attractive man. Age was becoming on him.

  ***

  Chloe might have been hungry, but her tummy couldn’t hold the large steak and the ear of corn. She partially ate her steak, most of her corn, and then pushed her plate away. She felt guilty because it tasted delicious, but even if she weren’t sick, she would have never managed such a large piece of meat.

  “It’s okay. You’ve done very well.” He took her plate, scraped it into the trash, and started to wash the dishes.

  She liked watching him. “A man with true domestic skills.”

  “Not really. Steaks on the grill are fairly easy. I eat most of my meals out. I really can’t be bothered cooking, and washing dishes isn’t rocket science. How would you like to spend your evening?”

  “You don’t want to know,” she answered truthfully. She wandered back to her bed and sat on it.

  “Try me.” His chuckle was soft and slid over her like a warm blanket.

  “Being there is nothing to do…” She sighed. “My ideal night would be curled up with a very sexy, very handsome man, the kind of guy who would massage my feet and paint my toenails.”

  He turned and laughed at her. “With muscles like the Incredible Hulk or Superman?”

  She grinned. “Yeah, I could get into that. What do you want in a woman?”

  “Okay, I want a woman with a set on her this big.” He held his hands out in front of his chest.

  She shook her head. “Why do men like big boobs?”

  He shrugged. “Why do women want a guy who has bulging muscles and a ten inch penis?”

  She raised her eyebrows at him. “For the same reason men want big boobs.”

  He chuckled as he dried the last plate and put it away. “What if I had ten inches? Would you like me more?”

  She giggled. “You don’t own one that long so it’s not an issue.”

  “No, I don’t own one, but what if I did?”

  His smile warmed her. She shook her head. “It wouldn’t change a thing.”

  “Well, at least you’re honest.”

  “I’m sure you got your kicks these last few days.” She still wasn’t comfortable with the situation, but she was certain he’d done nothing to her.

  He raised his eyebrows and stared at her. “Because I’ve seen your body?”

  She nodded.

  “You have a beautiful body, but I didn’t touch it, and I really tried not to look.”

  She shrugged. “I guess I ruined your setup. You figured you’d bring me up here and then seduce me.” She cocked her head. “How could I say no?”

  “No such designs.” He sat at the bottom of her bed and took a foot into his hand. “If you had been any other female employee I would have never brought you here.”

  Whatever he was doing felt incredibly wonderful. It wasn’t exactly a massage; it was more of a squeeze and rub. Still it felt good and was very relaxing.

  “The fields, I’m sure, will be worth viewing, but I knew what the accommodations were like. I thought it would give us time to work out our personal problems.”

  She turned her gaze away from him. “I don’t have any personal problems.”

  “Yes, you do. You still seem to hate me.”

  “After what you did to me?” She turned back to him. “By the time I got that fiasco straightened out, that scholarship was given to someone else.” Fire came out with her words as old wounds opened. “I needed that money for college. I couldn’t afford more school loans.”

  “I’m sorry about the scholarship. I never did anything else to you; and yet, you hated me from day one.”

  “You were the epitome of everything that I was trying hard not to be.” She shook her head trying to clear the image of the nerd he once was. “I wanted to be accepted, so I did everything I could to be with the popular crowd.”

  “You succeeded.”

  “Not really. They were nice to me, but I didn’t fit with them. My idea of a hot night didn’t include getting high or drunk. Bobby and I would go someplace and then leave before things got too heavy. He’d drop me off at home, and I’d go to my room and cry.”

  “Why?”

  “I wanted a real boyfriend. I wanted to have fun. Life as a teenager pretty much sucked. I was a nerd.” Old memories flashed through her mind, all of them painful. “Then I went off to a local college, and things didn’t change much, except I think I did. I didn’t bother with the other students. I buckled down and worked to get the best grades that I could.”

  “You graduated with honors, if my memory serves me correctly.” He put her one foot down, picked up the other one, and gently rubbed it.

  “I did. I also dated.” She glared at him. “Gee, I even wound up getting married.” Another set of memories flooded her. “Thought we were happy until he told me he wanted a divorce.” Another round of painful memories flashed before her. “Seems he found someone else he liked more. So here I am, thirty-five with what I thought was a good career, no children and no desire for any, cooped up in a cabin in the middle of nowhere with the guy that I hated from the time I was twelve.” Oh, that feels good.