Love me till the end

Chapter 14

Charlie caught her breath at the look of desire on Luke's face and suddenly felt raw and vulnerable. Standing naked before him, she shivered and was thankful when he finally grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her. Before she could prepare herself he picked her up and carried her into the other room to the fireplace. She did a double-take when her eyes fell on the black pelt on the floor before the roaring fire.

"A bear rug?" she asked in awe, a soft giggle escaping her when all the clichés she'd ever heard about making love in front of a fire on a bear rug came to mind. "Is that for real?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I was forced to kill one my second summer here. Swanson was around to show me what to do with the pelt." Luke carefully laid her down, then surprised Charlie by opening the blanket and taking hold of one of her bare legs.

"What are you doing?" she gasped, wide-eyed.

He chuckled, running his hands over her roughly, beginning with her feet. "Relax. I'll have the blood running through your limbs again in no time." Luke's hands moved swiftly up to Charlie's knees, his strong fingers promoting circulation that soon had her feeling much more than just warmth. He repeated the process on her other leg.

She leaned weakly against the stack of pillows he'd been thoughtful enough to provide, praying he intended on stopping with her legs. If he were to touch the rest of her body in that rough and stimulating way she might as well return to the pond for another dip. She closed her eyes so Luke wouldn't see the desire filling them, recalling the pleasure his hands and mouth had on her body when he was fucking her. He was careful to keep his touch impersonal, but Charlie couldn't keep her thoughts from the exact opposite.

She wanted to tell him how she felt but didn't want him thinking she was confusing gratitude with love. Knowing how Luke felt, she wasn't strong enough to endure his rejection right now.

"Turn over," he commanded softly, just when Charlie had begun to let her imagination run a little wild.

"Do you think that's wise?"

For the second time Luke chuckled. "I was just wondering where my common sense had disappeared to."

He obviously wasn't showing any by giving her a thorough rub down, but he knew her cold body needed it. And she knew it. His hands were restoring the warmth to her muscles and invigorating the blood flow in her veins. Deciding no good could come out of dwelling on what else his hands were capable of, Charlie relaxed and let her mind drift. If Luke could stand it so could she.

"Turn over, Charlie."

Her eyes bolted open. She'd been half-asleep. "Huh?"

"Turn on your stomach and I'll do your back."

"Oh."

Charlie pushed the pillows aside and turned over, careful to keep the blanket wrapped around her. However, Luke had other plans and peeled it away from her. She gasped but he ignored it, leaving just enough material to cover her buttocks. Then Charlie felt his hands brush aside her wet hair, before falling to her shoulders. His hands and fingers curled into the delicate bones there and began to massage her. She sighed blissfully against her arm where she rested her head.

"Oh, that feels wonderful."

"You'll be asleep in no time."

Luke's hands slowly made their way down her smooth back, working and kneading at her muscles, rubbing his palms deeply into her cold skin until it felt alive again. He moved in a swirling motion, going lower and lower each time until he came to where the blanket was draped carelessly across her waist. Charlie's breath caught when he dipped his fingers beneath it.

She heard his breath quicken, but he remained silent. Charlie could feel his eyes on her, warming her more than any fire could. Soft sighs escaped before she could stop them. She closed her eyes, feeling the change in his hands as they moved over her. He was caressing her now. The blanket shifted and she knew the only thing keeping her from being totally naked was a strip of fleece barely wide enough to conceal her bottom.

In spite of the desire uncoiling through her body, Charlie felt overwhelmed with fatigue. She kept her eyes closed and enjoyed his administrations before sleep slowly claimed her into gradual unconsciousness.

* * * *

Luke stared down at Charlie for a moment, making sure she wasn't too close to the fire. He wanted her again. With a curse, he swung around and headed for the kitchen. Charlie was right about one thing; Susan would want him to get on with his life. Still, he wasn't sure he was ready for that. For now all he knew was that he was going to fix some hot soup.

By the time he returned to the living room, Charlie was sleeping deeply, curled up into the fleece blanket, looking comfortable and warm as toast. Lady had claimed her place in front of the hearth, lying on her side with her back against Charlie's. Luke grinned, she'd probably scream like a banshee when she woke up and realized she was sleeping with a wolf. Then unexpectedly Lady jumped to her feet and went straight to the door. She turned her head and focused her keen gaze on him. Luke knew what that particular look meant.

He strode to the door and opened it. In a flash Lady disappeared into the snow-blanketed forest. Luke's gaze followed her until she was out of sight. It was that precise moment when something snagged his attention, a movement in the distance. He shielded his eyes against the glare of the sun on the snow, searching the horizon and beyond.

It was an airplane.

Luke's heart fell. As it moved closer, he recognized the logo on the side, which identified it as the one and only search and rescue plane from Tall Pines. He was pretty sure he'd seen the same plane the other day, only it had been a little too far away to make a positive identification. He swore beneath his breath, wishing he'd made the decision to return to the crash site earlier to leave a marker of some kind. Tomorrow might be too late.

Leaning his tall form against the frame of the open doorway, he glanced back at Charlie. She appeared to be sleeping soundly, a curious little smile upon her soft mouth, making him curious as to what her dreams were about. Her face was relaxed and serene, as though she didn't have a care in the world. Incredibly long lashes fluttered against the rosy glow of her cheeks as she moved into a new position, seeking comfort.

The blanket slipped, revealing ivory shoulders that Luke knew were soft as silk to the touch.

She made him hungry.

She made him forget.

Could she make him love again?

Luke had never thought of himself as living in the past. The night he'd lost Susan his life had changed forever. He'd simply walked away from civilization at a time when he thought he couldn't go on without her. Suicide had never entered his mind; he'd simply been looking for a place of peace and quiet, a place without people and commitments and the possibilities of being close enough to another human being to ever get hurt again.

Only, he hadn't counted on an angel falling from the sky, either.