19. Bridget
Bridget
Tonight was magical. The setting, the food, the company, all of it was perfect.
And I had Cole to thank for that.
At some point during dinner, he’d left his hand palm up on the table, and without a moment’s hesitation, I reached over to take it.
The calloused pad of his thumb rubbed circles over my knuckles, sparking an electric current beneath the skin.
It made me feel alive for the first time since—well, I couldn’t exactly remember the last time.
As the night drew to a close, I was hesitant to let him go, even as we came to a stop outside my bedroom door. The man hadn’t been kidding when he said he planned to treat this like a real date.
Cole squeezed my hand. “I had a really nice time.”
“Me too. It was the best date I’ve ever been on.” Not that the bar had been set too terribly high. Before Aiden, I’d suffered through a handful of blind date disasters.
He smiled. “That only gives me more motivation to make the next one better.”
The mention of more dates, of continuing to build on what we’d started here tonight, made me giddy, as though I was teenage Bridget falling for her longtime crush all over again.
Clearing his throat, Cole said, “Well, I guess this is goodnight.”
“Oh.” I couldn’t hide my disappointment that this was it.
“Is something wrong?”
“No,” I confessed. “I just thought—” Shaking my head, I muttered, “Never mind.”
“You thought what, Bridget?” he pressed.
Heat rising to my cheeks, I kept my gaze firmly rooted on the ground. “Isn’t it customary to end a date with a kiss?”
There was a sharp intake of air from the man standing opposite me. “A kiss?”
“Seriously, forget I said anything.” Mortified beyond belief, I reached behind me with my free hand, blindly trying to find the door handle.
“Do you want a kiss?” When I remained silent, he said, “Bridget, I need you to answer me.”
Heaving a sigh, I admitted, “Maybe.”
“Maybe,” he repeated. “Maybe doesn’t count as consent.”
My eyes snapped up, and I all but stopped breathing when I saw the heat in his. It burned so hot in those sapphire depths that, suddenly, I was at risk of overheating.
“C-consent?” I stammered.
A hum vibrated through his chest. “Mm-hmm. I won’t do a damn thing without it.”
Peering at him through my lashes, I whispered, “Yes, I want a kiss.”
“Now, was that so hard?” His voice came out rough, like it had been dragged over gravel.
Time slowed down in anticipation of the moment when his lips met mine.
One heartbeat passed.
Then another.
And just when I could feel his ragged exhales fanning my face, he shifted to press an achingly sweet kiss to the center of my forehead.
He pulled away, and it took a minute for me to regain my bearings.
Cole was going out of his way to be a perfect gentleman, and while I could admit that was admirable, I wanted more than what he’d given me.
I pushed my lower lip out in a pout. “Not the kind of kiss I was hoping for.”
“Bridget.” My name was uttered with such reverence as he stared down at me that my heart clenched. “There’s no need to rush this.”
Frustrated with the situation, I huffed, “I’m tired of you treating me like I’m made of glass.”
A silent war played out behind his blue eyes as he fought with himself over what to do.
With a nod, he rasped, “All right.”
My heart thrashed against my ribcage as he moved in. This time, when our mouths were only a breath apart, he didn’t change course. My whole body melted as his lips brushed against mine. Softly at first, then with more pressure before his tongue traced the seam and I opened for him.
His guttural groan made my toes curl inside my heels, and I reached up to thread my fingers through his hair as the kiss grew deeper. We moved in sync, like this was a dance we’d done a thousand times before—which, technically, we had—and it felt so fucking right.
An almost forgotten sensation of heat pooled low in my belly, and I couldn’t get close enough. Even an inch of space separating me from Cole was too much.
But sooner than I wanted, we broke apart, both of us panting as we caught our breaths.
Forehead pressed to mine, Cole said, “Better than I remembered.”
My only reply was a contented hum as I clung to him.
Fingers grazed my cheek as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear before retreating, a soft smile on his kiss-swollen lips. “Goodnight, Bridget.”
I pressed a palm over my heaving chest, the wall at my back the only thing keeping me upright on knees gone weak. “Night.”
Best date night ever.
As I lay in bed, my lips still tingled from Cole’s kiss. In the darkness, sleep eluded me.
He was on the other side of my closed door—so close, yet so far away.
Fed up with tossing and turning, I flung off the covers, eliciting a disgruntled meow from Cinder, who lifted his head to find out what the commotion was all about.
Sliding off the mattress, I pressed a kiss to his furry head. “Sorry, boy. Go back to sleep.”
I crept on tiptoes to the door, turning the handle silently as I pulled it open.
Like he’d been every night since my arrival, Cole was asleep in the hallway.
A week or so ago, he had upgraded to an air mattress after a lecture from the Surf’s training staff.
I was grateful for their insistence that he take care of his body because it eased some of the guilt I felt over him being uncomfortable while playing protector.
For a while, all I did was stare. Because, let’s be honest, the view was spectacular.
He was dressed in only a white T-shirt and black boxer briefs; the thin fabric clung to his muscular frame, every ridge highlighted.
He’d certainly filled out during our time apart, and you wouldn’t hear me complaining.
At twenty-eight, the man was aging like a fine wine, and I could only imagine how incredibly sexy he’d look once a few grays filtered into his full head of black hair.
He was completely relaxed, unguarded. Sheets were tangled around his legs, and one arm was positioned over his head.
Cinder rubbed against my leg before curling up beside Cole. Before passing out again, he fixed me with a look that said, Well, what are you waiting for?
Even the cat knew I was hopelessly in love with this man.
Dropping to my knees, I crawled onto the air mattress, taking up the empty spot to Cole’s right.
Heat radiated off him, and I snuggled closer, absorbing the warmth. His scent surrounded me, and I couldn’t resist burying my face against his neck, inhaling deeply.
Cole stirred, a moan sounding, but he didn’t wake.
With our bodies pressed flush, I was finally able to turn off my brain and let sleep claim me.