14. Chapter 14 Cole Harpers Bed
COLE
Suzanne doesn't say a word the entire drive to my place.
She sits in the passenger seat with her hands folded in her lap. Her knuckles are white, and her breathing is too careful. Like she's holding herself together with duct tape and sheer will.
I don't push. Not yet.
Smokey knows something's wrong the second we walk through the door. He circles Suzanne twice, nose bumping her thigh, before sitting directly on her feet like he's pinning her in place.
"He's gentle," I say, tossing my keys onto the counter. "He won't hurt you."
"I know."
Her voice cracks on the second word.
That's when she breaks.
It's not loud, not dramatic, just her shoulders folding inward. Her breath hitches once before the tears start. Silent, brutal tears that she tries to swipe away like they're evidence of weakness.
I cross the room in three steps.
"Hey." I keep my voice low and steady. "You're safe here."
She shakes her head, still not looking at me. "I shouldn't have come. This is your home. I'm dragging you into something you didn't sign up for."
"Stop."
"Cole…"
"Stop." I tip her chin up with two fingers, forcing her to meet my eyes. "You think I let just anyone through that door? You think I brought you here because I felt sorry for you?"
Her lip trembles. "Didn't you?"
"No."
The word comes out rougher than I mean it to. She blinks, startled, and I exhale hard through my nose.
"You're here because I want you here," I say. "That's it. That's the only reason that matters."
She stares at me for a long moment. Then she collapses forward, forehead pressed to my chest, and I catch her like I've been waiting for this exact moment my entire life.
Smokey whines softly beside us.
I wrap one arm around her waist and guide her toward the couch, but she stops halfway there.
"Can we…" She swallows. "Your bed?"
Every part of me goes still.
"You sure?"
She nods against my shirt.
I don't argue. I take her hand and lead her down the hall.
My bedroom's nothing special, with dark walls and minimal furniture. A bed I barely use because I work too much and sleep too little.
Suzanne stands in the middle of the room like she's not sure what to do with herself.
"Sit," I tell her.
She does. Perched on the edge of my bed, hands twisted together, and tears still streaking her face.
I grab a hoodie from the chair by the window and hand it to her. "Put this on. You're shaking."
She takes it without arguing. Pulls it over her head. It swallows her whole, sleeves hanging past her fingers, and something in my chest cracks open.
I sit beside her, not touching, just giving her space to breathe.
For a long time, neither of us speaks.
Smokey settles at her feet with a heavy sigh, his chin resting on her ankle.
"You don't have to tell me everything," I say finally. "Not tonight. But I need to know if you're in immediate danger."
"I don't know." Her voice is so quiet I almost miss it. "I thought I was safe here. I thought if I just stayed quiet and didn't draw attention, he'd leave me alone."
"Men like that don't leave people alone."
She flinches. "I know."
"Suzanne." I turn toward her, keeping my hands on my own knees. "I need you to understand something. Whatever this is, whatever he's threatening you with, you're not facing it alone anymore."
Her lip trembles. "You don't know what you're saying."
"I do."
"You don't." She looks at me then, eyes red and raw. "You don't know what he's capable of. What he'll do if I don't go back. And now I've dragged you into it. You and Willa and your brothers and this whole town."
"We can handle it."
"Can you?" Her voice cracks. "Because I've been handling it for months, and I'm so tired, Cole. I'm so tired of being scared."
The admission breaks something in me.
I reach for her, slow and deliberate, giving her every chance to pull away. She doesn't.
My hand settles on the side of her face, thumb brushing away a tear. "Then stop carrying it alone."
She closes her eyes and leans into my palm like she's starving for touch.
"I don't know how to do that."
"Let me show you."
Her eyes open, searching mine.
Then she shifts. Closes the distance between us. Presses her forehead to my shoulder and just breathes.
I wrap my arms around her and hold on.
She shakes with silent sobs that rack her entire body. I don't try to stop them. I don't tell her it'll be okay. I just hold her while she falls apart.
Smokey whines softly.
After a while, the shaking stops. Her breathing evens out. But she doesn't pull away.
"I'm sorry," she whispers against my shirt.
"For what?"
"For being a mess."
"You're not a mess." I press a kiss to the top of her head. "You're scared. There's a difference."
She pulls back just enough to look at me. Her face is blotchy, her eyes swollen, and she's never looked more beautiful.
"Why are you being so nice to me?"
"Because you deserve it."
"You don't know me."
"I know enough." I brush a strand of hair away from her face. "I know you came back to this town to start over. I know you're brave enough to face whatever's chasing you. I know you make me feel things I haven't felt in a long time."
Her breath catches. "Cole."
"I'm not done." I hold her gaze. "I know I should keep my distance. I know Willa would kill me if she knew what I'm thinking right now. But I'm tired of pretending I don't want you."
Silence stretches between us.
Then she moves.
Not fast. Not desperate like before. Slow and deliberate, like she's making a choice she can't take back.
She climbs into my lap. Her knees bracket my hips. Her hands settle on my shoulders.
"Tell me to stop," she whispers.
"No."
"Cole…"
"No." I grip her hips. Hold her steady. "You want this, you take it. But I'm not stopping you."
She studies my face. Looking for doubt, maybe, or hesitation. She won't find it. Then she leans in and kisses me.
It's different than before. Softer. Slower. Like she's trying to memorize the shape of my mouth. I let her set the pace. Let her explore and take what she needs.
When she pulls back, her eyes are dark and wanting.
"I need you to touch me."
"Where?"
"Everywhere."
I slide my hands under the hoodie. Palms flat against her lower back. Her skin is warm and soft. I map every inch I can reach while she watches me with those wide, trusting eyes.
"Take this off," I tell her.
She does. Pulls the hoodie over her head and tosses it aside. Underneath, she's wearing that same tank top from earlier. Thin enough that I can see the outline of her nipples.
My mouth goes dry. "This too," I say, tugging at the hem.
She hesitates. Just for a second.
"Hey." I wait until she looks at me. "We don't have to do anything you're not ready for."
"I'm ready." Her voice shakes. "I'm just. I don't look like…"
"Stop."
"Cole…"
"Stop." I cup her face with both hands. "You're perfect. Exactly as you are. Understand?"
She nods. Doesn't look convinced.
I pull her tank top up slowly. Watching her face. When she doesn't object, I pull it off completely.
She's not wearing a bra.
I take a moment to just look. To let her see how much I want her.
"Fuck, Suzanne."
She ducks her head, cheeks flushing. "Don't."
"Don't what? Tell you you're gorgeous?" I tilt her chin back up. "Because you are."
Before she can argue, I lower my mouth to her breast.
She gasps.
I don't rush. I take my time. Tongue circling her nipple. Teeth scraping gently. My hand is palming her other breast while she trembles in my lap.
"Cole." My name comes out broken.
"Tell me what you need."
"I don't know." She rocks against me, restless. "I just need…"
"More?"
"Yes."
I shift us. Lay her back on the bed with me hovering over her. Her hair fans out across my pillow, and the sight of her here, in my space, does something to me.
"Are you still with me?" I ask.
"Yes."
"Good." I kiss her once, softly. "Because I'm going to make you feel so good you forget about everything else. Just for a little while."
Her eyes go glassy. "Promise?"
"Promise."
I work my way down her body. Kissing. Tasting. Learning what makes her gasp and what makes her moan.
When I reach the waistband of her jeans, I pause. "Can I?"
She nods.
I undo the button. Slide the zipper down. Peel her jeans and underwear off in one motion. Then I settle between her thighs.
She tenses. "Relax." I press a kiss to her hip bone. "I've got you."
"I know."
I do it slowly. Hands on her thighs, thumbs stroking soft circles while I kiss my way higher. By the time I reach where she needs me most, she's shaking.
"Breathe," I tell her.
She does. A shaky exhale that turns into a moan when I slide two fingers through her folds. She's soaked. "Is this all for me?"
"Yes." The word comes out strangled.
I circle her clit with my thumb. Light pressure. Just enough to make her hips lift off the bed. "Easy."
"I can't."
"You can." I slide one finger inside her. Slow. Giving her time to adjust. "Just feel."
She whimpers.
I add a second finger. I curl them slightly. Searching for that spot that will unravel her. When I find it, she cries out, her hand flying to my wrist.
"Right there?"
"Yes. God, yes."
I set a steady rhythm. In and out. My thumb is working her clit in time with my fingers. Watching her fall apart beneath me.
She's close. I can tell by the way her thighs start to shake. The way her breathing goes ragged.
"Let go," I murmur. "I've got you."
"Cole…"
"Let go." She does.
Her back arches off the bed, teeth sinking into my shoulder to muffle the cry. I feel her clench around my fingers, pulsing, and I work her through every wave until she's trembling and gasping beneath me.
When the aftershocks finally subside, I withdraw my hand carefully.
She catches my wrist. Eyes dark and hungry. "I want more." Her voice is rough. Raw. "I want you. All of you."
Every muscle in my body goes tight. "You sure?"
"Yes." She reaches for my belt. Fumbles with the buckle. "Please, Cole. I need to feel you inside me."
I capture her hands and hold them still. "Look at me." She does. Eyes wide and wanting.
"If we do this," I say slowly, "there's no going back. You understand that?"
"I don't want to go back."
That's all I need to hear.
I stand long enough to strip off my jeans and boxer briefs. Her gaze travels down my body and stops when she sees how hard I am.
"Oh."
I grab a condom from my nightstand. Tear it open. Roll it on while she watches. Then I settled back between her thighs.
"You change your mind, you tell me. Any time. Understand?"
"I won't change my mind."
I line myself up at her entrance. The head of my cock presses against her slick heat.
"Breathe," I tell her. She does.
I push in slowly, inch by inch. Giving her time to adjust and take me.
She's tight. So tight I have to grit my teeth to keep from losing control. "Fuck," I breathe. "You feel incredible."
She whimpers. Fingers digging into my shoulders. "More."
"Greedy."
"For you? Yes."
I sink in deeper, watching her face and looking for any sign of discomfort. All I see is pleasure. When I'm fully seated inside her, I pause. I let her adjust, let myself adjust, because she feels so good, I'm already fighting the urge to come.
"Move," she whispers. "Please move."
I do.
I pull out slowly. Then thrust back in. Setting a rhythm that's deep and deliberate. Nothing frantic. Nothing rushed.
Just us. Connected. Bodies moving together like we were built for this.
She wraps her legs around my waist, changing the angle, and I groan.
"That's good?" she asks breathlessly.
"Better than good." I lean down to kiss her. Deep and filthy. "You're perfect. So fucking perfect."
She moans into my mouth.
I pick up the pace. Thrusting harder and faster. One hand gripping her hip to hold her steady while the other slides between us to work her clit.
"Cole. Oh god, Cole…"
"I know. I've got you."
She's close again. I can feel it. The way she's tightening around me. The way her breathing goes ragged. The way her nails rake down my back.
"Come for me," I growl against her throat. "Let me feel you." She shatters.
Her whole body locks up, back arching, a cry torn from her throat as she comes hard around my cock.
The feeling of her clenching and pulsing sends me over the edge.
I bury myself deep and let go. My own orgasm hits me like a freight train. White-hot and all-consuming.
When I finally come back to myself, I collapsed half on top of her, both of us breathing hard.
"Sorry," I mutter. "Too heavy."
"No." Her arms tighten around me. "Stay."
So I do.
I shift just enough to take some weight off her but keep us connected. She makes a small sound of protest when I start to pull out.
"Not yet," she whispers.
"Okay." I press a kiss to her temple. "Not yet."
We lie there in the quiet. Her fingers trace patterns on my back. My hand strokes her hair.
For a moment, everything else fades away. The threats, the fear, the past chasing her. It's just us.
Then she shifts. Tilts her head back to look at me.
Her expression has changed. The post-orgasm glow is still there, but underneath it is something heavy.
I watch her pull in a slow breath. Watch her decide.
"Cole."
"Yeah?"
Her voice comes out barely as a whisper.
"I'm pregnant."