Ayden's Secret (28 page)

Her wrist reminded her it was all real. Slowly she raised her hand to her head. Yes, she was bald. She knew exactly what she looked like because she had seen Michael this way. She pulled her hand free of his, and he rustled awake.

“Charlie?” Ayden smiled. She was alive. The panic attack had actually saved her life.

“I’m bald,” Charlie whispered.

“You’re beautiful, darlin’.” Ayden climbed into bed with her and hugged her tight. “God I was scared I had lost you forever.”

“I love you, Ayden.” Charlie sobbed into his shoulder. “I was so afraid I would die and you wouldn’t know how much I loved you. That’s why I left Las Vegas. That’s why I had to find you.”

“Shhhh, darlin’, I know. It’s okay.” Ayden brushed away her tears. “I love you so much, Charlie.”

“I know you do.” Charlie smiled and sniffed. “Can we go home now?”

“Yes.” Ayden nodded.

“What happened to Preston? Did you catch him?” Charlie sat up and pulled her hospital gown off.

“No. Evelyn killed him.” Ayden hung his head low. “I hate she had to do that.”

Charlie gasped. “My God, is she all right? Is the baby okay?”

“She’s fine. Joshua’s a mess though, tending to her like a mother hen.” Ayden handed her clothes. “I’ll tell the doc you’re ready.”

Charlie put her clothes on and went to the bathroom. She took a deep breath and walked inside. There she stood in the mirror her reflection foreign. Charlie didn’t consider herself a vain woman, but she took care of herself and that included her hair. How in the world could Ayden say she was beautiful? She was bald.

“Charlie, darlin’?” Ayden stepped back into the room behind the doctor.

“I’m in here,” she squeaked out.

Shit. Ayden’s gut twisted with the reality that she was seeing herself for the first time. “Charlie, let me in.” He tapped on the door. The knob twisted and the door opened.

Ayden stepped into the bathroom and found Charlie standing there with tears steadily streaming down her cheeks. “You’ve been through a lot, baby. Let’s talk to the doc, and I’ll take you home.”

Charlie nodded as Ayden pulled her into his arms. He instinctively reached to caress her hair, but it wasn’t there, so he stroked her back instead. She felt the motion and knew he was going to caress her head but didn’t. Charlie took a deep breath and pushed herself away from him. She held her head high and straightened her clothes.

Ayden gritted his teeth as he walked behind her. Damn he wanted a cigarette.

“Agent Wolf, if you’ll wait outside, Ms. Mann will be right out.” The doctor nodded and gestured for Charlie to sit at the foot of the bed.

“I’ll be right outside.” Ayden left the room and paced outside the door.

Inside the doctor gave Charlie her discharge instructions and directions to care for the laceration at her wrist. She explained she had been given a pint of blood and if she suffered any emotional trauma, she could call the hotline.

Charlie pondered emotional trauma. It seemed almost funny in a sick way. Here she was bald with a slit wrist, sitting on a hospital bed after almost being murdered by a serial killer. No, no trauma here. Not that the situation prior to being pushed into a lake was any better. Ayden was talking about families and kids, and though he told her moments ago, he loved her she couldn’t help think it was out of duty he said it.

Of course, the doctor kept rambling on directions and information, and Charlie could barely absorb it all. Then she was telling her that her rape kit only found semen associated with Ayden and that they tested her for other things. “I’m on birth control.”

“Well, if you think the test is incorrect, I would test again when you get back to North Carolina,” the doctor said.

“Look can I go now? I hate hospitals.” Charlie’s head was buzzing with too much information to process. She gathered the paperwork and started for the door. “Ayden?”

“You ready?” Ayden wrapped an arm around her waist. Charlie nodded, and he escorted her out of the hospital. He couldn’t take his hands off of her; he couldn’t. The only time he had left her side was to shower and change at the hospital. Joshua had left him his truck to bring her home in, and they would drive back to North Carolina with them in the morning. “Joshua left me his truck.”

Once outside the hospital Charlie began processing everything the doctor had said. Turning it over and over in her head she kept coming back to the last part. She really needed to look through the papers but not until she was alone.

“I must look like a cancer patient now.” Charlie looked at her lap. How could she go to Stephanie’s wedding now?

“You remind me more of Demi Moore in GI Jane.” Ayden wanted to soften the impact of her appearance any way possible. “Your hair isn’t what makes you beautiful, Charlie.”

“No?” Charlie set her hand on his hand. Ayden hadn’t let her go except to walk around the truck to get in. Once it was started and they were driving, he had his hand on her thigh.

“No.” He shook his head. “Ask me what my favorite feature is on you.”

“What?” Charlie made a slight laugh. Usually she had to keep him talking. Now he wouldn’t shut up.

“All time favorite is your heart. You’re probably the kindest most loving person I know. Of course you’d have to be to put up with an idiot like me.” Ayden sighed. “Second would be your lips, then your eyes.”

“Really?” Charlie gripped his hand. He was trying. She had to give him credit for that.

“Yes, really, what did you think I was after your tata’s and kitty?” Ayden attempted a joke. He never thought himself a funny man, but Charlie was down in the dumps, and he would do anything for a smile right now. Anything.

“Did you just say tata’s? How old are you now anyways?” Charlie smiled.

Ayden chuckled. He wanted to pull her across the seat and into his lap. He never wanted to be farther than arm’s reach from her again.

“Charlie.” Lacy squeezed her face between two small hands and kissed her several times all over. “I’m so glad you’re home now, dear.”

“Let her go, Lace. You’re gonna smother the child.” Ben pulled at Lacy then drew Charlie’s unbandaged hand to his lips and kissed it. “Welcome home.”

“Thanks.” Charlie smiled graciously. Evelyn and Joshua approached.

Joshua sniffed her. “You smell like hospital. Go change into cookies.”

“Jerk.” Charlie laughed.

“I’m glad you’re okay.” Evelyn hugged her. “You ready to go home now?”

“Yes.” Charlie nodded. She was ready to go back to North Carolina. “Can I talk to you upstairs?”

“Yeah, let’s go upstairs and get you settled in.” Ayden touched her back.

“Just Evelyn,” Charlie whispered.

“Oh.”

“Sure, come on.” Evelyn headed toward the stairs, and Charlie followed.

In the guest room, Charlie stood in front of the mirror. “I don’t think I can go to Stephanie’s wedding. I don’t think I can stay in North Carolina.” She turned to look at Evelyn. “I don’t know what’s happening to me.”

“I do.” Evelyn sat on the bed. “You’re scared. Your worst nightmare came true, and so did your best dream. The man you feared most in your life is now dead. The man you wanted most in your life now wants you.”

“You make that seem so…”

“Simple, but it’s not. Look, Charlie, when I was looking for Noel, I swore when I found her, I would never leave her, but Joshua is the love of my life. I never in a million years thought I could love anyone the way I love Joshua. But here I am.” Evelyn smiled and threw up her hands. “Ayden loves you, and to be loved by that man in particular is a rare and special gift. Don’t run from it.”

“I’m ugly now. You don’t know how he looked at me before.” Charlie pulled trembling fingers over her head then over the bruises on her face.

“Honey, it will take more than a haircut and a couple bruises to make you ugly.” Evelyn wasn’t cutting the supermodel any slack. “But even if he had sliced your face instead of your wrists, Ayden would look at you the same. Trust me. I know my brother.”

“You’re right.” Charlie nodded.

“I’m always right. Ask anyone.” Evelyn stood. “Now I’m going to send him up here. Don’t break his heart, Charlie. He has a plan in action. Be patient and trust him.”

“I don’t understand.” Charlie looked down at Evelyn. If she ever needed anyone to talk some sense into her, that woman was the one to do it.

“And I can’t tell you.” Evelyn shrugged.

Charlie watched her leave with a huge smile on her face. Evelyn had the inside scoop on something. That she was sure of. Charlie sat on the bed and filed through the papers. She had just realized what the doctor was telling her when Ayden walked in.

“Hi.” Charlie folded the papers and set them aside. “What time do you think we’ll be leaving tomorrow?”

“Early. You hungry?” Ayden tucked his hands into his front pockets.

“No.” Charlie swallowed hard. This was hard; it was complicated. “I want you to know I wasn’t raped or anything.”

“I know.” Ayden nodded. “That and Joshua’s blood was the only thing they would talk to me about. I had to pull out the old FBI routine to get that much. It was frustrating as hell. Damn privacy act.”

“Did you sleep with her?” Charlie felt the strain in her chest.

“She told you that?” Ayden looked at the floor. He shouldn’t have to feel guilty about it. He wasn’t with Charlie then, but in a way he had only been with Charlie all the while.

“Yes.” Charlie looked at him. “I never had any other man. I didn’t lie about that. Why was she watching me?”

“She worked on the case with me. I thought it would be easier to have a woman keep tabs on you than a man. I didn’t want a man looking at you to be honest.” Ayden ground his teeth together. “I ran into her four years ago. She gave me an update on you, told me some sob story, and hell it had been a while so.”

“So you slept with her?” Charlie stared at him, her green eyes intent on him.

“No. I fucked her and then I left and slept in my own room.” Ayden lifted his head and met her emerald eyes. He would take that night back now if he could. If he knew, it would have led to all of this.

“She was obsessed with you, Ayden.” Charlie saw the regret in his baby blue eyes. “I understand that. I was obsessed with you, too.”

“Charlie, I swear I didn’t know how you felt then. I didn’t know how I felt then. It was years ago. Don’t hold me to that fire now. I would never cheat on you. I felt guilty enough sleeping with her then.” Ayden pulled his hands from his pockets and scrubbed over his face.

“Why?” Charlie wanted to know.

“Because she wasn’t you! Shit.” Ayden was yelling at her, but it was real and raw, and it was the truth. He put his hands on his hips, took a short quick breath and spoke softer. “Look. I can’t explain it other than the fact you have been the only woman in my life for the past eleven years that wasn’t related to me. On some level, I have always wanted you. I just couldn’t, or wouldn’t, do anything about it. But now...”

“I believe you.” Charlie had heard enough. This wasn’t his plan, and she was sure Jana was just a one night stand. He didn’t care for her, and that’s all she wanted to hear about the woman who was going to kill her. “I just had to know how you felt about her.”

“I need you to know how I feel about you.” Ayden stepped toward her.

“I know how you feel about me.” Charlie closed the space between them and wrapped her arms around him. Life was too complicated these days. Once they got back to North Carolina, things would slow down and then they could process everything. Evelyn was right. The dream of Ayden and the reality were two different things, but she still wanted him. Knowing he wanted her made the thought of losing him unbearable.

The entire family had dinner together in the large country kitchen. Lacy had outdone herself. The baby played, the women chatted, and the men watched television and grunted. Joshua and Evelyn stayed in Noel’s room across the hall. Ayden had arranged to have his house there cleaned. It was as much planning as he could manage with the incident still fresh in his mind.

***

Ayden awoke with Charlie in his arms in their usual fashion only reversed so her bandaged wrist would be elevated. He looked her over slowly. Sleeping peacefully in his arms she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. The bruising from the crash would go away in a few days. Her hair would grow back, but Charlie would be there in his arms from this day forward. It would be a while before he could let her out of his reach.

Charlie opened her eyes at his kiss. Ayden pulled her in tight and continued to sip slow kisses from her lips. He slid his rough fingers up her bald head and rolled her to her back.

“It’s very soft and fuzzy.” Ayden nipped her ear.

“You can’t possibly be attracted to me right now,” Charlie whispered, though the man’s body was telling her otherwise.

“Why? Your girlie parts not working?” Ayden brushed a hand over her breast.

Charlie giggled. She loved Ayden in the morning. It didn’t matter if she was bald, if she was bruised. He was pure heat, and as long as her girlie parts were working, he didn’t care about anything else. “You’re such an animal in the mornings.”

“Is this too soon for you?” Ayden looked at her seriously. He didn’t want to rush her. He just wanted to make love to her again. To feel their bodies as one, to know she was his and his alone, to know she was safe. After Evelyn told him last night she felt ugly, he wanted her to know she was the most amazing thing he had seen in his life.

“Oh I think it’s way too late for me, cowboy.” Charlie pulled him back to her lips. He had that look in his eye, her look. The look that told her he thought she was beautiful and not because of her face, hair or body, but because she was his.

“I love you,” Ayden whispered against her cheek. He regretted not telling her sooner.

“I know.” Charlie held back the tears. Evelyn was right. Having his heart was a gift.

A knock rapped on the door. “Wolf, you ready to hit the road?”

“Joshua.” Charlie giggled.

“Damn Dog.” Ayden growled into her neck then to the door, “Thirty minutes.”

“No. You get up. We can do this at home.” Charlie pushed at his chest with her good hand. “We’ll be right there, Joshua.”

“Fifteen minutes.” Ayden licked her neck.

“Bad Wolf.” Charlie scowled in jest.

“Five?” He slipped down her body and drew on a nipple through her top.

Charlie licked her lips. “You think he’s still at the door?”

“Thirty minutes, Big Dog.” Ayden shouted toward the door.

“You’re so bad.” Charlie ran her hands through his hair. God she missed her hair, but it would grow back.