Chapter 14
Twilight was racing toward night when I pulled up in front of Cole’s house. I waved at Mrs. Lipnicki in the quickly fading light, and her curtain twitched closed. It was impossible to come here and not picture Cole mowing his elderly neighbor’s lawn while the thirsty housewives watched out their windows.
Cole and I practically lived in the same neighborhood, with the same mix of families, college students, and middle-aged people wishing they were still college students. I’d seen the way the single ladies stopped by to talk to Dad, bringing him food and flirting. Honestly, if Dad showed an iota of interest, I’d be all for it, but he was as oblivious as Cole probably was.
From the way Mom talked, I’d expected Dad to be entertaining a different puck bunny every other night. He certainly had the opportunity. When I’d approached him about moving in, he’d been on board without hesitation. Not the reaction of someone who expected the presence of his grown daughter to hinder his attempt to sleep his way through Addison.
I had a lot of skewed opinions thanks to my mom, and I needed time to sort the lies from the truth. For instance, she’d insisted Scott was a perfect match for me. Definitely a lie. Dad’s promiscuity was a lie too. The man hadn’t so much as looked at a woman in the weeks I’d been living in his guest room.
Cole answered the door in a tight Henley with the sleeves pushed up and waved at Mrs. Lipnicki just like I had. Well, not exactly the same. He smiled and flashed forearm porn to anyone in the neighborhood with eyeballs.
Damn Marco for pointing out those sexy cords of muscle. I’d spent the time between practice and now actively trying not to think of Cole or any parts of his body. A wasted effort when he turned his eyes on me.
“Come on in. Reece and Mase are still here, but they’re leaving in just a minute.” Cole turned to lead me into the big open room, and my gaze refused to move past his broad shoulders.
The living room could have been on fire, and I wouldn’t have noticed with the dimpled cotton following the play of Cole’s back muscles. I followed him inside, letting my gaze drop down past his waist. Hockey asses in gray sweatpants should be illegal.
He glanced my way and caught me staring, but I didn’t bother pretending I was doing anything else. No surprise I found him attractive—I’d asked for no-strings-attached sex at the first opportunity. Cole was more than a pretty body though, a fact which complicated things on my end quite a bit.
I took my time meeting his eyes. “Did I get in the way of manly bonding?”
“No, Reece is doing his usual rounds. Even if I’d planned to go with him, I’d rather be here with you.”
I raised a brow. “Even if all we do is read?”
Cole shrugged one shoulder. “Worth it to spend time with you.”
The smooth line struck me as genuine, but I viciously squelched the warmth trying to spread through my chest. No one wanted to spend time with me. They wanted something I could provide them. In Cole’s case, he thought he needed me in order to pass his class.
I wasn’t as convinced. He had a sharp mind, and he picked up on the themes right away. As long as we stopped to talk about the story every few minutes, he had the knowledge he needed to write his assignment and pass the test. I’d bet we could find the right audiobook situation to take out the need for a tutor altogether.
Not until after I’d gotten at least one night though. All this buildup was killing me. The irony of potentially dying from sexual frustration instead of being murdered by an unhinged local was not lost on me.
When I didn’t respond, Cole tugged on a strand of my hair. “If it makes you feel better, I’d probably just be watching TV with Henry if you hadn’t come over… but I’m glad you’re here.”
Despite my best efforts not to care, a tendril of happiness oozed into my belly. No, no, no. I wasn’t falling for the cute, wholesome schtick. I’d seen the rough side of Cole, and that was enough, thank you very much.
“Yeah, thank goodness I interrupted your binge watching. I’m sure Henry needs a break from all her screen time,” I deadpanned.
“Shh,” he whispered. “She’ll hear you and wreak havoc. When was the last time you checked the break lines on your car?”
I rolled my eyes, pretending I wasn’t fully invested in the banter. “My apologies. Henry should do whatever the hell she wants.”
Cole laughed quietly, and I sauntered past him to drop my messenger bag on the couch. The intense athlete from earlier was nowhere in sight, but the way he watched me said that side of him wasn’t far off. I couldn’t decide if I was glad or disappointed.
Probably from hearing her name so many times in quick succession, Henry peeked her head around the edge of the side table, so I crouched and held out my hand, thankful for the distraction. She took her time approaching, but she got close enough for me to pet her back right as Reece came down the stairs.
He was dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt that stretched across his shoulders. A backward cap hid most of his dark blond hair, but it managed to show off his green eyes and chiseled jawline. Seriously, what did they feed these guys around here? The Easton hockey players weren’t nearly as attractive. Still, as hot as Reece was, he didn’t elicit any lady tingles.
“What’s up, Coach’s daughter?” He barely spared me a glance on his way to the basement door.
“I have a name.”
“I know,” he grinned at me over his shoulder. “It’s easier to remember you’re off limits if I don’t use it.”
I smiled despite myself. “You need help remembering not to hit on someone? I don’t envy the women in your life.”
He snorted and pounded on the closed door. “Including you, I have a grand total of three women in my life—one of them terrifies me, one is hardcore claimed by my roommate, and one is a duck. You can figure out which is which.”
I really hoped I was the terrifying one. Reece slammed his hand on the wood one more time before opening the door a tiny bit and bellowing into the crack.
“Mase, I swear to Eva if you don’t get up here in the next minute, I’m coming to get you.”
A reply floated up the stairs, but I couldn’t make out individual words. Reece seemed satisfied though because he abandoned the basement to grab his sneakers next to the door. Curiosity had me rooted to the spot since I hadn’t met Mase or the mysterious Gavin and Eva. I knew who the guys were, naturally, but Eva had only recently popped up in my socials when I bothered to check them.
Too much chance for overlap with Easton and the fallout from my article about Scott. Better if I could claim plausible deniability.
Cole sidled up next to me and jerked his chin at Reece. “Don’t say shit like that in front of Eva. She’s already a menace.”
Reece chuckled. “You’re just jealous she likes me better than you.”
“Sure. Jealousy is definitely what I’m feeling. You can deal with her attitude yourself since you’re obviously the favorite.”
The basement door creaked open before Reece could respond in the one-way pissing contest. I’d only ever seen Mase in full goalie gear, so I wasn’t sure what to expect when he walked into the living room with a loose-limbed stride.
Holey jeans and a ratty TU shirt didn’t hide his sheer mass. He had to be at least 6’4”, taller than the other huge guys who lived here, and wide shoulders tapered to a trim waist. His striking blue eyes catalogued the room in a second, lingering on me with a slight frown as he dragged a hand through unkempt dark hair.
Tattoos covered his hands and curled up around his neck. Not my thing, but the worn ink lived on his skin like they’d always been there. I shook off the fanciful thought and wondered if he was equally covered everywhere. Probably. Marco would lose his shit. I guess I should have expected another super-hot hockey player. Did they have a club or something?
“What’s she doing here?” he grumbled.
Reece tossed a shoe at him, which he caught with ease. “Cole has a study date. We’re leaving so he can decide if he wants to earn Coach’s wrath or not.”
I sent Cole a sharp look, and he simply shrugged. These guys were clearly close, but I hadn’t expected him to tell them the details of our deal.
Mase’s dark brows drew together. “I thought you needed a distraction.”
“That too. Stop staring and start moving.”
His gaze stayed on me for a moment longer, and for the life of me, I felt like he was examining my soul. When he shifted to scowl at Reece, a weight I hadn’t noticed lifted from my chest. Weird. It wasn’t attraction since apparently, I was in my good boy era, but Mase had a definite bad boy appeal.
Reece ushered Mase out the door without saying goodbye, and I decided not to take it as a personal slight. He seemed like the type to avoid goodbyes. Alone in the house with Cole, I dug through my bag, searching for a paper and pen I probably wouldn’t use. Last time, I’d mostly read out loud to him and we’d discussed the events.
The hairs on my arms stood up as he approached me from behind. My skin tingled at his proximity, but I refused to acknowledge the reaction. I was here to help him with his English assignment, not play naughty librarian.
“Do you want to start with the tutoring or the interview?” he asked.
Shit. I almost forgot about my article. The slip should have been a warning sign. When it came to journalism, I was always a professional. The memory of my dad’s face when I refused to do his interview at home made me cringe internally. Fine, I was a professional with everyone except my dad.
The interview had to come first. I only had a few days to write the ensuing article, and we could always schedule another tutoring session. Unlike the article, I hadn’t forgotten Cole’s demand for his participation. A flickering warmth started in my belly, and I admitted—silently, to myself—that I’d been thinking about kissing him all day. Another warning sign.
I took a shallow breath and summoned what was left of my waning confidence before I turned. “The interview.”
His lips tipped up into a half-smile. “You know the price.”
“One kiss. One.” I held up a finger, and Cole caught my hand to pull me closer. “Then you’re answering my questions and we’re going back to your reading.”
“Are you stalling, city girl?” he murmured, the sound rumbling through me in ripples.
I huffed, trying to disguise my sudden breathlessness. “I’m being clear about the stipulations. One kiss is all you get, until we finish your assignment.”
“Better make it good then.”
His fingers trailed around my waist in a lazy caress and spread on my lower back. I was prepared for violence and rough handling, but his gentle tug unfurled something inside me. Cole trailed his lips across my cheek, and my eyes fluttered closed. He teased and tested before settling his mouth on mine.
The last time I’d kissed him, I hadn’t known better. I had no such excuse now. Part of me had been hoping the time in the library was a fluke. The connection or whatever it was between us would fizzle out with repeated exposure. Instead, my heart beat wildly in my chest, thrumming in my wrists, at my neck, between my legs, all the points where I wanted his touch.
His thumb stroked my jawline, coming to rest under my chin to tilt my head up as he deepened the kiss. Bubbles rode my pulse like someone had dumped champagne in my blood. I clutched at his shirt, pulling myself closer as his arm tightened around me.
Cole explored my mouth, stoking the fire with a slow, purposeful seduction. His touch bordered on reverent, soft and gentle as he eased me into the heat. He lured me into lowering my guard, tossing my qualms aside, and simply enjoying his body against mine.
If he’d asked me to get naked, I would have dropped my pants in a second, but Cole eased away, resting his forehead against mine.
“Worth it,” he whispered.
I didn’t open my eyes for several beats, not until I was sure I wouldn’t beg him for more—not until he stepped away, taking his warmth with him. When I focused on him again, he was sitting on the couch with a cocky grin.
“What do you want to know?”
A smear of my red lipstick marred the edge of his smile, and the physical reminder of my badass armor helped me get my shit together. I wiped away the excess I could feel on my skin and sank down with my chin high.
“Let’s start with how long you’ve been playing hockey…” I skipped right over any acknowledgement of the kiss, and he followed right along. A small part of me was disappointed he’d pulled back, but the larger, more cowardly part applauded his restraint. That was the deal. One kiss, no repercussions—and one hundred percent a lie.
He let me cling to my almighty boundaries, but I knew. Deep down, I was going to kiss him again.