Lessons of Love (43 page)

He
’
d sat by
Jolie
’
s bedside in Doc Martin
’
s office through it all for four days, silently praying the drug and its after effects wouldn
’
t kill her, and that when she woke up a
nd saw him, there would be happiness and not hate in her eyes. As he held her hand and smoothed back her hair in a soothing rhythm hour after hour, quietly begging her to come back to him, she
’
d finally opened her eyes.
Cole
had stopped still as stone when
he saw she was awake, his heart in his throat, waiting for
Jolie
’
s reaction to his presence, and the smile that lit her face and the tears of joy that fell unchecked down her cheeks filled him with relief and a happiness
unlike any
he
’
d ever known.

Now
his wife was safe and secure in his arms and that
’
s where
Cole
intended for her to stay. He was taking her to their room at the hotel for some much needed tender loving care. The bellboy opened the door with a wide smile on his face then discretely disapp
eared.
Jolie
’
s eyes grew wide as she looked around the room that had been prepared for them, thinking how perfect and magical it all was. There were candles lit everywhere, bouquets of flowers scenting the air, a crackling fire in the hearth, and smooth li
nen sheets on the bed. “
Cole
…
what?”

“
Celia thought you deserved something special for your homecoming, and I agreed. She arranged for dinner too but that can wait. You
,
my dear, need to be pampered.”
Cole
brought his lips down to hers. His mouth grazed he
rs lightly, then sought more. Warmth radiated through
Jolie
as he took possession of her mouth and his tongue wrapped itself around hers in a silken caress.
Jolie
sighed deep in her throat, relaxing in his arms as her body melted against his loving where s
he was and who he was.
Cole
broke off the kiss, smiling at the look of
pure contentment on her face.

“
Are you ready to be loved, baby?”
Jolie
didn
’
t answer him, the look in her eyes said more than mere words ever could.
Cole
carried her to a small room o
ff to the side. It too had candles lit everywhere and a huge copper tub in the middle of the floor. The room glowed golden with their subtle light, creating a soft dreamy world. Scented steam rose in the air from the perfumed oil that had been poured into
the bath water. It filled the small room with the heady smell of lavender and patch
ouli, her two favorite scents.

Cole
set
Jolie
on her feet and slowly began to undress her. He kissed her upturned face and neck, nibbling, tickling, pausing at her ears, mu
rmuring soft words of love, cherishing every part of her. He raised her arms over her head and pulled off her camisole, bending down, he kissed her shoulders, flutter soft, soothing, tantalizing.
Cole
ran his hands over her back and
Jolie
winced. His breat
h came out in a sharp hiss when saw the remnants of the lash marks that still marred her back. He had to steady himself and swallow the lump of pain and rage in his throat.
Cole
traced his fingers over the bruises, cursing the animal who had caused his wif
e pain.

“
It
’
s okay,
Cole
. It
’
s over. Those will fade. Right now you
’
re healing my heart. That
’
s what I need.”
Jolie
put her hands on his cheeks and guided his mouth back to hers. He kissed her deeply, like a drowning man. Clinging, seeking forgiveness, o
verwhelmed by love. How could she still love him? What did he ever do to deserve someone like
Jolie
in his life? Her touch and her heat drove aw
ay his demons and his doubts.

Cole
reached around
Jolie
, his fingers deftly untying the ribbons of her pettico
at. He broke the kiss and tugged it to her feet, steadying her as she stepped out of it. Rising,
Cole
stood and gazed at his wife. She was thin, much too thin, but she was still beautiful all the same. He reached out and ran his hand over her stomach and b
reasts reverently. God he loved this woman.
Cole
looked up and into
Jolie
’
s eyes, his heart in his throat. He saw her tears of happiness and love, and the joy he felt was so int
ense it stole his breath
away.

Cole
lifted her into his arms and the slowly pl
aced her in the steaming water.
Jolie
sighed as the feeling of warmth surrounded her. Her body ached from being beaten and going through the Morphine withdrawal and she felt filthy, still
remembering Gregor
’
s touch.

“
Close your eyes and relax, kitten.”
He sat near the end of the tub and gathered her hair in his hands. It was tangled and dirty, but still beautiful to him.
Cole
patiently brushed her hair until the knots were free, pausing once in a while to kiss her forehead and temples, telling her over a
nd over how much he loved her. When he was satisfied that her hair was free of the snarls,
Cole
lifted
Jolie
up and slightly forward.

“
Tilt back you head.”

“
Cole
, I can wash my hair.”

“
Hush
, let me love you.”

Sighing, obeying, surrendering herself
to his loving care,
Jolie
leaned back, relishing in the feel of his hands in her hair as the scented soap lathered, soothing her scalp and washing away the memories of her pain. He did the same to her skin, making her feel alive and clean again as his hand
s soothed and massaged and his slippery fingers paused to occasionally tantalize. Every caress, every word w
as full of love and devotion.

His fingers went over her body again and again, soap and oil making them slick, massaging her muscles one by one unt
il he felt her relax.
Jolie
’
s breath quickened as his hands continued to caress her. They slipped below the water and she moaned deep in her throat, lost in the sensation, needing to let go.
Cole
touched her intimately, knowingly, building tension in her b
ody so she cou
ld find the ultimate release.

Cole
slipped an arm securely under her as his hand gently rubbed her nubbin and he slowly brought
Jolie
to a peak. She cried out and
Cole
brought his mouth down on hers. He held
Jolie
as she trembled, liquid go
ld warmth filling her veins. She lost control and surrendered to the feeling, to her feelings. As the pleasure rushed through her, pain poured forth from her soul. A heart-wrenching sob tore from deep inside her even as she found physical ecstasy. It was
f
illed with all the terror and despair that she
’
d en
dured at the hands of Gregor.

“
That
’
s it baby, let it out. I
’
m right here. Let it all out.”
Jolie
sobbed as
Cole
held her tight. She cried her heart out safe in his arms. She cried for what had been done
to her and for the pain she had endured. She cried for the revulsion she had felt every time Gregor or the buyer from Boston had touched her, leaving her feeling degraded and filthy inside. And she cried for the panic that had frozen her heart every time
Gregor told her
Cole
didn
’
t love her anymore.
Jolie
cried until she felt clean inside, until the hate and horr
or were purged from her soul
.

Cole
gently washed her tear stained face as her sobs ceased. He rocked her until her breathing returned to normal
and she wasn
’
t shaking anymore. He told her of his love and told her how brave she had been. He told her how proud he was that she
’
d endured it all and how awed he was at her incredible strength. He swore he would never let her go again and he vowed to lo
v
e her until his heart no longer beat. He had almost lost her,
and that was the unthinkable.

“
I need you to love me,
Cole
.”
Her words were a softly murmured deman
d, husky and full of passion.

Cole
scooped
Jolie
up in his arms and crushed her to him, hee
dless of the water dripping everywhere. She shrieked and laughed at his antics, then pulled his head down for a searing kiss. It was a kiss full of reaffirming love, the kind that comes when you have faced the worst of evils but survived because you are t
o
gether. And it was a kiss that held unbelievable joy because they k
new nothing would ever tear them
apart. It went on and on filling the void that had been created when Gregor tried to destroy their world. It took
Jolie
’
s breath away and she clung to
Cole
,
lost in the feelings of
passion, security, and love.

“
If you need me to love you kitten, then I shall be only to
o
happy to abide by your wishes.”
He captured
Jolie
’
s once again and carried her into the candle lit b
edroom for
a night of love.

Cole
co
ntinued to hold
Jolie
long after they arrived in their bedroom, mouths joined in passion, bodies entwined in love. Water dripped from
Jolie
's hair and skin, pooling on the floor and soaking
Cole
's clothes. He was heedless to it all, his thoughts were focus
ed on the woman in his arms, his wife, his love.
Cole
’
s need for
Jolie
was desperate and intense, and all the agonizing days of fear and longing
were wrapped up in his kisses.

The heat of
Jolie
's body burned into him and he moaned deep in his throat. God
how he loved her.
Jolie
, hearing him, held him tighter. Her body was on fire, desire and need coursed through her as she lay in his arms. The intensity of their kiss sent waves of pleasure roaring through her veins. She ran one hand down his back, pulling
his shirt free, and slipped the other inside it to curl her fingers in the fine hairs of his chest. She stroked his broad, hard muscles, relishing in the feel of their heat and strength as her other hand traveled lo
wer, squeezing and caressing.

Jolie
pul
led away from the kiss and
Cole
groaned. He tried to reclaim her lips but she shook her head and smiled at him planting a trail of feather light kisses across his jaw and to his ear lobe. Taking the lobe in her mouth,
Jolie
sucked and nibbled, until she he
ard
Cole
moan. "Put me down
Cole
so you can undress. I need to feel your skin on mine." The words were whispered, husky and demanding, tantalizing him as she continued to nibble on his ear and
run her h
ands over his body.

Cole
bent his head down and ligh
tly trailed his lips across her neck and shoulders, pausing to tickle and tease with the tip of his tongue. He went lower, towards her belly, flicking his tongue, licking, kissing her lightly. Everything was tender and sweet. Gentle touches
,
and feather lig
ht kisses.

"Put me down,
Cole
, now. I need you."

Cole
turned towards the bed to do as she ask
ed but paused when he saw a pile
of quilts upon the bed. They brought back the image of
Jolie
, l
ying under a mound of quilts in the Doc
’
s clinic. Those quilts t
hat had been used to warm her as she lay hovering on the brink of death, and these were a sharp reminder of what had been, what almost was.
Cole
closed his eyes as pain filled him. Self-reproach lay heavy on his shoulders. If only he had taken her with him
to Natchez.