Chapter Five
Victoria woke up slowly. The medicine had done its job, taking away the pain for the most part, but she could still feel the tightness of her nerves behind her eyes.
She straightened, moving slowly so the pain wouldn’t start again.
Her body jerked when a warm hand landed on her stomach.
She slowly pried her eyelids open to stare in confusion at Cole sitting on the side of her bed.
How many times had she dreamed of him here in her room?
“Hi,” she whispered and smiled before stretching her limbs. The first few hours after waking from the drug-induced sleep were like moving through molasses.
“What is wrong with you, Tory?”
A sense of delight rushed through her at the nickname he’d used. Only her uncle had ever used that name, and it reminded her of her uncle.
“Why are you smiling, baby?”
“Only my uncle ever called me Tory.”
Cole nodded. He liked that no one else called her that but him now. “Now two men will have used the nickname. I like that.”
Cole slipped his hand from her stomach to the other side of her hips so he could lean over and move into her space a bit more.
“Tell me about the pills?”
Victoria moved her eyes to the bottle in his hand. It looked so small. His massive hands made it look like a doll’s toy. Victoria realized two things at once. One, she was unconsciously running her fingers up and down his arm, and he really was in her bedroom. She wasn’t dreaming.
She struggled to sit up and started getting frustrated when she couldn’t seem to move her limbs. The drugs were still too strong in her system. She gasped when he lifted her with surprising ease and set her back against the headboard, making her feel very small but somehow safe.
She smoothed her hair a bit, knowing it had to look crazy.
“Better?”
“Yes, thank you.” She smoothed the t-shirt she had on, unable to look him in the eyes. “Why are you here in my bedroom?”
“Tomas called me concerned. He said you were wearing a long-sleeved shirt and jeans out in this heat. You’re going to get heat stroke, sweetheart. I don’t want you to push yourself so hard, or you’re really going to hurt yourself.”
She nodded and stayed quiet. She knew it had been a bad choice when she started getting dizzy and nauseous.
“Tory, the pills?”
Her fingers of one hand went to her temple, where there were remnants of pain, just not nearly as bad as a few hours before. Then, the pain had been debilitating. Add the medicine, and it scared her, made her feel defenseless and vulnerable.
“Tory,” his voice lowered with an edge of threat.
“I have migraines.”
His hand cupped her chin and lifted her face. “How often?”
“Normally, once every few months, although I’ve gone several months without them before. I’ve had them since I was a child.”
The thought of the pain she’d had to endure because her mother didn’t want to spend the money on a doctor.
She had always thought Victoria was being dramatic, and it was just a simple headache.
It was only when a school nurse got involved that she started to understand.
Thankfully, at every school she attended, the school system was aware of her situation, and she received free medical exams and medication that helped tremendously.
Her mother hadn’t liked it because it always put Victoria to sleep, and then she couldn’t do anything.
It always terrified Victoria when she was in the drug-induced sleep.
What if one of her mom’s friends were able to hurt her, and she wouldn’t have been able to fight back?
Every time they moved, the school would call social services, and that seemed to keep her mother from making bad decisions that could hurt her daughter.
“Now you have them several times a week?”
Her eyes widened in shock. “How do you know that?”
“Tomas called me, remember? He’s concerned for you. And it looks like he has reason to be worried. Why are you getting so many more than usual? What have you done to fix this? Have you seen a doctor or even just talked to one?”
Victoria lowered her head and watched her fingers play with the hem of her shirt.
“Stress is usually what causes them, so I guess I’m under more stress than usual.
” She tried to laugh it off. “I will need to ask my doctor to call in another prescription anyway. I’ll tell him about my situation then.
He’ll also help me find a doctor that’s close. ”
“What else are you going to do about this situation? You can’t go on the way you are. It’s unhealthy.”
“It will get better soon. The more I learn, the better I feel, and the less stress I have.”
“You’re going to kill yourself, Tory. It’s never going to get easier for someone like you.”
She lifted her head suddenly and then grimaced. “What is so wrong with me?” Her words came out pained and shallow.
“It takes a powerful woman to run a ranch. I’ve only known of one in my entire life, and she was close to my size and built like a tank.”
Her gaze slid away.
“You need to consider selling your ranch to me. With the money, you could move anywhere and do anything.”
Shock mixed with disappointment pierced her heart.
She wanted to laugh but couldn’t get the sound past her constricted throat.
What an idiot she’d been. She thought he was here because he cared.
But no, he couldn’t turn down an opportunity to put her down and make her feel weak. Bottom line, he wanted this ranch.
Victoria started to sluggishly move away from him to the other side of the bed. The drugs were still running through her system and would for a few more hours, causing her to move slowly.
Cole lifted his arm when she pushed against it. “Where are you going?”
“I have a ranch to run. Thank you for stopping by, Mr. Conley, but I don’t want you to waste any more time with my problems or weaknesses.”
He caught her around the waist, careful not to jar her, and pulled her onto his lap.
Victoria started to struggle and then stopped suddenly, grabbed her head, and moaned when the pain in her head spiked.
“Settle down,” he whispered against the top of her head as he gently held her.
She did settle because she had no choice. When she relaxed, she was able to feel the heat and hardness of the legs underneath her bottom, making her breath hitch, her nipples tighten. Her hands gripped the arm that tightened around her waist.
“Let me up.” Victoria stilled when she realized he was breathing her in.
It was making her breath go faster and her heart trip in her chest. Was it possible he was feeling the same as she was?
No. If he had felt like her, he wouldn’t want to push her out and make her feel like nothing. “Stop playing with me and let me up.”
“I don’t think I’m going to like what’s going through that pretty head of yours.”
Victoria stiffened again and pushed at his arm. “Let me up. You don’t have to patronize me.”
“Now, what the hell are you talking about?”
“You don’t have to give me false compliments to get my attention or soften me up. I’ve been told my whole life how I look, so that’s the wrong road to take with me. Now let me up.”
“Not yet. I want to know who filled your head with bullshit.”
She didn’t want to talk about this, ever.
Who wants to admit their own mother thought she was ugly?
But then add the mean comments of some of the men that traveled through their lives while she was growing up, and the kids at different schools, and it seemed to cement what her mother had told her all along.
“I’m not letting you up until you tell me, Tory.”
Victoria pressed against her eyes. “Why does this matter to you? Every chance you get, you try to belittle me and run me off. What’s the difference?”
Cole sighed. “I’m not trying to run you off.
In fact, I’d like it if you found something around here.
Something safe. And I’m not trying to insult you, sweetheart.
Can you agree you’re a small person?” He waited for her nod.
“How about because of your size, having some trouble doing the work needed to be done on the ranch?”
Her eyes lowered as she nodded.
“Good, I’m glad you understand what I’ve been trying to get through to you. Now tell me.”
“My mother, okay, now let me the hell up. This is hurting my head, but then you enjoy hurting me, don’t you?” She tried and failed to swallow the tears that threatened.
“I’m trying to prevent you from hurting yourself,” he said in frustration. “I’m going to let you up, and when you feel better, there is a lot we need to talk about.”
Victoria pulled away and took a few steps from him before she turned. She moved a little fast and felt a wave of dizziness hit her, making her sway on her feet. She jerked away from Cole and held her hands up when he reached out to steady her.
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she said and made sure she leaned her weight against the wall. “Once again, thank you for coming, but I really think it’s best if we avoid each other.”
Cole smirked. “I can’t see that happening since we’re next-door neighbors.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I think if we try hard enough, we can do it.”
Cole watched her stubborn chin tilt up. Feisty even when she doesn’t feel well. He bit back a chuckle and kept all expressions off his face. “Are you okay now?”
Victoria crossed her arms. “Yes.”
Cole’s eye roamed up her body. “Tomas said you’d lost weight, and he’s right. You can’t afford to lose any more.” He folded his arms over his chest. “So, what are you going to do about it?”
Her teeth snapped together. “This is none of your business, but I’ll tell you, I am pushing myself to eat better, taking time to eat real meals instead of cereal and peanut butter and jelly.”
A growl crawled out of his throat, and his lips tightened. “That’s all you’ve been eating?”
She didn’t understand why his growls pushed her heartbeat into overdrive and made another wave of heated desire race through her body. “Yes, but only because I didn’t have the time or was too busy or tired to eat right. I’m planning on going to the grocery store tomorrow.”
“Good. You could stand to gain twenty pounds.”
Victoria gasped. “I didn’t weigh that much when I got here.”
“I’m just telling you a man likes a woman with curves, with enough pudge to cushion him when he makes love to her.
” He could tell he’d said the wrong thing when the color and life seeped out of her expression.
“Don’t do that. I’m not insulting you. No matter how much you weigh, you’ll always be a beautiful woman. ”
She didn’t believe a word he said. “I have a lot to do.”
He took the few steps to her, stepping into her personal space. “I need you to be really careful because if Tomas calls me again, concerned for you, you won’t like what happens,” his voice was soft and menacing.
Victoria narrowed her eyes and moved toward Cole ... closer but not touching.
“Are you threatening me?” she asked tersely.
****
Cole had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from laughing. She was so tiny she had to tilt her head back far, and it looked painful, but that didn’t stop her from pushing. Damn, this woman was getting under his skin more and more and creeping closer to his heart.
“No, baby, I’m not threatening you.” He tapped her nose. “It’s a promise.” He stepped away and started out of the bedroom and down the stairs. He chuckled when he heard her growl.
“You’re such a jackass.”