Chapter 14 #2
"I was afraid of what you'd say."
He gave a humorless laugh.
"Every time my phone rang, though, I hoped it was you."
Sienna touched his face.
"When did you start the journal?"
Cole visibly stiffened.
"About a month after I got here."
His grip tightened around her waist.
"At first, I kept myself busy fixing things around the house."
"And then?"
"I ran out of things to fix."
He hesitated.
"And passing out drunk every night started taking its toll."
Sienna's expression changed.
"Writing helped."
Cole shrugged.
"I didn't feel quite as alone."
"I still can't picture you keeping a journal."
"Neither can I."
Sienna smiled.
"Yet here we are."
She looked around the room.
"Maybe we were supposed to find our way back to each other."
Cole watched her.
"We both ran away from everything and learned to love being alone."
She shook her head.
"That's actually kind of sad."
Cole laughed.
"Come on."
He took her hand.
"Let's finish the tour."
His bedroom was across the hall.
Sienna stepped inside.
Cole followed.
The instant they looked at one another, the mood changed.
"This is now my favorite room," Cole said.
Sienna laughed as his hands found the button of her jeans.
"That didn't take long."
"Been thinking about this for a year."
He unfastened them.
Sienna's body reacted immediately.
Within moments, her clothes were coming off.
Cole turned her toward the wall.
She braced her palms against it and rested her forehead against the cool surface.
His mouth moved slowly over her body from behind.
Sienna's breathing grew heavier.
Cole took his time, his tongue traveling over her backside until anticipation became almost unbearable.
She spread her legs wider.
"You're impatient."
"Cole..."
He smiled against her skin.
Then lifted one of her legs, bending it high as he positioned himself behind her.
Sienna gasped when his cock pushed inside.
Cole entered slowly, giving her body time to adjust before thrusting deeper.
Her fingers curled against the wall.
He found a steady rhythm, one hand gripping her breast while the other held her firmly against him.
Sienna moaned.
Cole buried himself deeper.
He'd imagined this countless times.
Sienna here.
In his home.
In his bedroom.
Not as his client.
Not as someone he was supposed to protect.
Simply as the woman he loved.
The realization nearly overwhelmed him.
He kissed the back of her shoulder.
For the first time in longer than he could remember, Cole felt completely happy.
The following morning, Sienna stood near the lake holding a fishing rod as though she were preparing for battle.
Cole had spent what felt like an hour explaining how to cast.
She was convinced he'd made the process unnecessarily complicated.
"Okay."
Sienna narrowed her eyes at the water.
"I've got this."
"Remember what I showed you."
"I remember."
"Don't release too early."
"Cole."
"Okay. Sorry."
Sienna pulled the rod back.
Then flicked her wrist.
The line sailed through the air and landed much farther out than either of them expected.
Her mouth dropped open.
Then an enormous smile spread across her face.
"Okay. I. Am. A. Natural."
She emphasized every word.
Cole laughed.
"That was actually pretty good, SiSi."
"Pretty good?"
She put her free hand against her chest.
"That was exceptional."
"Are you sure you've never done this?"
"Never."
Cole prepared his own rod.
Sienna was grateful for her sunglasses because they allowed her to stare shamelessly.
He was shirtless, wearing only shorts and flip-flops.
His muscles flexed as he cast.
Sienna bit her lip.
Cole glanced toward her.
Even behind his aviators, she knew she'd been caught.
"Enjoying the view?"
"Fishing, Bennett."
He grinned.
Sienna looked back at the water.
"Who taught you?"
"My dad."
Her teasing disappeared.
"It's one of my earliest memories of him."
Sienna knew he'd lost his parents young.
She didn't press.
Suddenly, something jerked her rod.
Her eyes widened.
"Oh my God."
Another tug.
"I CAUGHT SOMETHING!"
Cole burst out laughing.
Sienna started jumping.
"I really caught something!"
"Stop jumping and reel!"
"What do I do?"
"The exact thing I've been explaining for the last hour."
"Cole!"
He moved behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist and placing his hands over hers.
"Slowly."
Together, they turned the reel.
The fish appeared closer to shore.
Sienna's excitement grew with every second.
When it finally reached them, Cole removed it from the hook and held it up.
"That is a good-looking fish, Ms. Carlisle."
Sienna beamed.
"I can't believe I did that."
"You want to hold it?"
She started to reach for it.
Then stopped.
Her face fell.
Cole frowned.
"What?"
"We aren't cooking him, are we?"
Cole stared at her.
"He's cute."
"Sienna."
"We need to put him back."
Cole started laughing.
"I'm serious!"
"SiSi, I've literally watched you eat fish."
"I know where fish comes from."
"Do you?"
"Shut up."
She pointed toward the lake.
"Put him back so he can be with his fish family."
Cole laughed harder.
"Cole!"
"Okay!"
He carefully handed her the fish.
Sienna carried it toward the water and released it.
She watched until it disappeared beneath the surface.
Then returned to Cole.
He handed her something to clean her hands.
"I'm glad we did this."
Cole smiled.
"Yeah?"
"Who knew fishing could actually be fun?"
"Most people."
She rolled her eyes.
"You know, the best part is usually eating what you catch."
"I told you. I'm not killing him."
"Right. The fish family."
"Exactly."
Cole shook his head.
"You are something else."
Sienna lifted her sunglasses.
"I'm not most people."
Cole's smile faded.
"No."
He looked at her for a long moment.
"You're definitely not."
Something in his expression changed.
Cole crossed the distance between them.
Then lifted her into his arms until they were eye level.
Sienna wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
"Stay a few more days."
Her smile softened.
Cole's blue eyes searched hers.
"I love you, Sienna."
Her heart stopped.
"I always have."
His voice grew quieter.
"I always will."
Sienna stared at him.
"We've already lost so much time."
He lowered her until her feet touched the ground.
The truth was that she loved him too.
So much it hurt.
Sienna opened her mouth.
Cole gently placed a finger against her lips.
"Please."
The gesture instantly reminded her of the first time they'd met.
"Just consider it."
Sienna took his hand and intertwined their fingers.
She reached up and pushed his sunglasses onto the top of his head.
Those blue eyes she'd tried for more than a year to forget stared back at her.
And suddenly, the answer was easy.
"Okay."
Cole's face filled with hope.
"A few more days."
His smile widened.
"But only on one condition."
"Name it."
Cole brought her hand to his mouth.
"Your wish is my command."
Sienna looked directly into his eyes.
"No more goodbyes, Cole Bennett."
His smile disappeared.
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Because I love you too."
Cole stopped breathing.
"And my one condition is forever."
His eyes filled.
Then he lifted her into his arms and spun her around.
Sienna's laughter filled the air.
Bright.
Unrestrained.
Happy.
When he finally set her down, Cole kissed her softly and rested his forehead against hers.
“I think forever can be arranged.”
Sienna smiled through her tears, her fingers curling into the front of his shirt.
“You better mean that.”
“I do.”
He kissed her again, slower this time, and she melted into him as the lake stretched quietly behind them.
For more than a year, they had loved each other from a distance—through anger, regret, silence, and words written on pages neither of them knew would ever be read.
Now there was nothing left between them but the life they were finally brave enough to choose.
Sienna pulled back just enough to look into his eyes.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
There would be no more goodbyes.
This time, they were choosing forever.