Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
AINSLEY
Cole pulls up to the hospital in record time, Emma greets us in the waiting area and gives us a quick rundown as she takes us to Mom’s room. The doctors are still running tests, but so far, it appears that Mom has some nasty bruises and a sprain. They’re not ruling out a possible stroke, which makes my heart sink even further.
My hands fly up to my face as Cole wraps a reassuring arm around me. Emma notices and her lips twitch ever so slightly.
“She’s going to be okay,” Emma says with a warm smile. “Just no more ladders for your mom.”
“A stroke?” I’m still stuck on that part.
Emma puts her hands on my shoulders. “The tests are a precaution. There’s no history of heart issues in your family, but the doctor wants to rule it out, okay?”
We walk into Mom’s room where she’s half sitting in the hospital bed. “Mom!” I rush over, not liking the sight of the bandages wrapped around her head.
“Honey!” Mom rasps. “I’m so happy to see you!”
“Oh, Mom! What the heck happened?” I know what happened, but it’s a natural reaction to blurt it out, anyway.
“Me being a klutz. I’m sorry to make everyone come out so late because of silly old me.”
I sit on the edge of her bed. “Don’t ever say that. I’m just glad you’re okay. Emma said you hit your head pretty hard. Did you feel funny before you fell off the ladder?”
“You don’t have to worry about me?—”
“Mom!”
“I knew you were going to yell at me.”
I try my best to keep my voice calm. “I’m not yelling. I’m just worried about you.”
“I didn’t have a stroke, I know that much.”
“These things can happen out of the blue. How do you know for sure?”
She pats my hand. “I know. Just like I knew I was in labor and everyone kept telling me it was too soon.”
“Mom, not this story again.” I facepalm myself.
She smiles, then looks over my shoulder. “Cole? Is that you?”
I turn to see Cole loitering in the doorway as he casts a little wave.
“Uh, Cole drove me,” I explain quickly.
“Well, that was awfully nice of him. Come in, don’t be shy.”
Cole walks in, hands in his pockets, as he looks up at my mom with those golden brown eyes. “I’m sorry you hurt yourself, Mrs. P?—”
My mom waves a hand. “It’s Valerie. Please, you make me sound like an old woman.”
Cole smiles softly. “Glad to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”
“Never. It’ll take more than a knock to th e head to keep me down.”
I take in my dear, sweet mom. She’s literally the dearest woman and didn’t deserve a life where she’s had to struggle. Not to mention, meet that asshole sperm donor who lied to her.
I try not to think about my mom dating, as she’s new to the dating scene, but she also deserves to be happy. Times have changed, and I worry about her getting duped, scammed or hurt even more. She’s too trusting, but I won’t let anything bad happen to her.
As if sensing my inner thoughts, Cole gives me a small smile. “Are you okay?”
I nod. “I’m fine. I’m just, you know, it’s my mom?—”
“She’s overprotective of me,” Mom finishes. “Always has been.”
“I’m no such thing,” I protest.
Mom ignores me. “So, you two are really dating?”
I frown. “What?”
“I heard from Mrs. Singer at the crochet club that you two were a thing. Not that I’m surprised,” Mom goes on. “All I’ve been hearing about for a little while now is Cole this, Cole that.”
My cheeks instantly flame. “Ma!” Kill me now. “Please don’t embarrass me!”
Cole’s shoulders shake with laughter. “Oh, please, don’t stop on my account. I’m all ears.”
I throw him a glare, then turn it back on my mom. She’s laughing too. It’s good to see her smile, but it’s also just like her to embarrass the shit out of me.
“I’d better not, but know this: my daughter is the most decent, loving, unselfish person I’ve ever known. If you were to date her, you’d be the luckiest man in the world.”
Tears well up in my eyes. “Mom, stop it.” I wipe one stray tear with my sleeve and she clutches my hand.
“You’ve always been a good girl, Ainsley. You were a blessing. If anything were to happen to me?—”
“It’s not, Mom. They said you’re fine. Don’t talk like that, it’s pessimistic.”
Cole squeezes my shoulder. “You’re right, Valerie, in all that you said. We’re just gettin’ to know each other, but from what I’ve seen so far, it would be an honor to date your daughter, if that’s okay?”
Mom’s eyes brighten. “Of course it’s okay. It’s not my decision, it’s up to Ainsley. But I can see she cares an awful lot about you. Just don’t do anything to hurt her like the last one. I heard about his broken nose.” She doesn’t even hide her smile. “I owe you for that.”
I shake my head. “Ma, nobody owes anyone for anything. Drake showed up at a kids dance intoxicated, and said some pretty mean things about me.”
“I’m agreeing. He deserved it.” My mom’s always been a big believer in doing unto others as you would do to yourself. She’d have absolutely no issue with Cole punching Drake in the face. She never liked him very much.
“I wish I could say I regret what I did,” Cole says. “But I’d be lying.”
Mom chuckles, then starts to cough. I rush to help her sit up and Cole pours a glass of water from the pitcher close by. “Stop fussing, Ainsley Marie.”
“Marie?” Cole snickers. “You never told me your middle name.”
I roll my eyes. “I didn’t think we’d gotten to the middle names part quite yet.”
“It’s after her grandmother,” Mom says, then, “What’s your middle name, Cole?”
I turn to look over my shoulder, this should b e good. Most middle names are usually embarrassing.
“Clarence,” he admits.
I burst out laughing.
“Ainsley!” Mom chastises. “It’s rude to laugh.”
“I’m sorry!” I can’t stop the giggles and Cole laughs, too.
“I’ll let my parents know you like the name just as much as they do. In their defense, I think they were worried that if they didn’t name me after an ancestor, we’d be shunned out of the family fortune,” Coles says. “Which doesn’t exist, by the way, because it turns out my good ol’ great grandfather had a gambling problem and swindled some peddlers and got himself into a bit of trouble back in the day.”
Me and Mom laugh. Cole’s so easy to talk to and I can tell right away Mom likes him.
Mom’s eyes start to close. “Well, I think it’s a fine name.”
I look to Cole. “I think we need to let her rest.”
He nods. “I’ll go make myself useful while you say goodnight.”
“Thanks, Cole.”
“Goodnight,” Mom says. “Thank you for bringing Ainsley.”
Cole smiles. “Of course, it helps that we’re neighbors now.”
I smile as he leaves the room.
I give Mom another hug. “Stay out of trouble, okay?”
She smiles softly. “I will.”
“I’ll come and see you tomorrow.”
“That’d be nice.”
I kiss her on the cheek as she closes her eyes . I let myself out of the room and Cole waits with open arms.
I hate hospitals. I mean, who doesn’t? But it’s a comfort having him here. As he embraces me, I take in his scent; the earthy and oceanic tone of his faded cologne, and all things Cole that make my insides flutter. He wraps his warm arms around me and just holds me also something I’ve never experienced before. There’s some kind of quiet comfort in a hug that lasts. Something that’s heartfelt and sincere. It makes my eyes fill with tears.
I pull back. “Let’s get out of here.”
He takes my hand as we go and say goodbye to Emma and head back to his truck. His thumb skates over my knuckles as we walk, and he tells me that he’ll come back with me tomorrow if I want him to.
This man.
My bottom lip trembles. I know I’m not cut out for these kinds of emergencies, but Cole has no idea. I have moments when I’m made of tough stuff, but I’m mush underneath.
He helps me into the truck and I take a moment to gather myself while he jogs around to his side. “You know, I was thinking—” he begins as he climbs in.
I don’t think, I just act. I practically jump him, climbing almost into his lap as he holds me steady halfway across the console for balance and I kiss him with all I’ve got.
Our kisses become hot and heavy. My hands slide their way up his arms as my fingers dig into his biceps, he makes a growling sound in the back of his throat that has me whimpering. I want him. I want him here and now.
“Wow, what was that for?”
When I pull back, we’re both panting and I want to tell him exactly what I’m feeling, but self doubt is creeping in just as fast as my eagerness to jump him just was. Does a guy like Cole really want me?
“Ains?” he prompts when I don’t answer. “What is it you want?”
“I want to—” I breathe. “It’s just that—” I can’t even say it. I rest my forehead on his shoulder for a moment while I gather myself.
“It’s just that what?”
“I don’t know how to say it.”
“You can say anything to me. I want you to always be open and honest about how you’re feeling.”
“I’m feeling like I want you, Cole. I want you so bad.”
“I want you too,” he says right back, without hesitation.
I lift my head from my hiding spot on his shoulder. “I need you right now.”
He makes a show of turning his neck, glancing around the almost deserted parking lot and says, “Right here and now?”
I nod.
He grins, pulling me back in. His tongue finds mine, and I lay my hand flat against his chest, feeling the strong wall of muscle underneath my hand. When I glide my hand south and cup him through his jeans, he almost chokes.
“Holy shit, Ains.” I take great pride in the fact he’s breathing so heavily. “I like a wild adventure, but I’m not sure how your mom’s gonna feel if we get caught foolin’ around in the hospital parking lot.”
“You’re probably right.” There’s no two ways about it, which proves I’ve temporarily gone insane. “Drive fast and we’ll get to your place or mine—” I can’t even believe I’m saying the words.
He kisses me again, his mouth warm and his touch gentle, then reaches around to start the engine as I press my palm against his erection and squeeze. It feels very hard and intimidatingly l arge. “Fuck, Shorty. ”
“You are the sexiest man I’ve ever met, Cole Garrison. I need you. I need to feel you inside me,” I whisper the words in his ear, too embarrassed for him to see my face. My cheeks are beet red and practically on fire, but I don’t care. He needs to know.
“I can make it to mine in three minutes, without breakin’ the law,” he tells me. His hands cup my face as we stare at one another. “I want you, too, baby girl. The fact you jumped me in my own truck is so…”
“Forward? Unwanted?”
He burst into laughter. “I forgot how articulate you are. But unwanted? He presses his hand against mine between his legs. “This has been rock hard for you since last year. I haven’t been with anyone else since before the night of speed dating.”
My eyes go wide. “What the hell?”
“Yeah, the boys give me shit about it, but I blame bein’ too busy at work.” He pinches my chin. “That wasn’t the case. It felt disloyal.”
I frown. “You waited that long?”
“Yup.”
“Even when I went back to Drake?” I swallow my guilt around why I even did that. I wanted it to work, or so I thought, but I had no clue what I was in for. Certainly not a cheater or a liar. I also had no idea Cole was interested in me that way.
“Even then. I knew it wouldn’t last, and trust me, if I knew he was a cheatin’, lyin’ asshole, I would’ve been the first one to tell you. I knew you deserved better, and that I could be a better boyfriend than him.”
Boyfriend. Holy shit, that sounded good . “A better boyfr?—”
That sexy grin tugs on his gorgeous face at my surprise. “You heard it.”
“Say it again.”
He doesn’t hesitate. “I’ll make a better boyfriend than him.”
“You definitely will.” Shit! Does he mean he wants to be? He did tell my mom it would he an honor to date me just before. I’m too chicken to ask, so I squeeze his dick harder instead.
He groans into my touch. “Baby, I need to get you home now.”
I bite my lip, knowing that drives him wild. “So, drive, big shot.”
He grins, kissing me chastely as I reluctantly remove my hand and slide back into my seat.
Granted, Cole makes it back in three minutes, without breaking any rules, and when he slides into his garage and the automatic door comes down, we don’t even get out of the truck. He slides his chair back and I crawl into his lap and our mouths meet again. Cole grips my ass and I rock into his body, enjoying how solid he feels beneath me. His body is so damned sexy and strong.
My heart pounds and my pulse races at our closeness and the fact he’s really turned on. We’re really going to do this here?
“I wanted you in my bed,” he breathes. “But I can’t wait.”
I don’t mind that. I grind against him as he squeezes my ass tighter. I tug at his jacket, shoving it off, then, I find the hem of his shirt and my hands run up the underside, feeling his hard abs and chest. He groans a t my touch, my fingers taking in every stroke of his body.
“You feel so good,” I murmur.
“So do you.”
He tugs his shirt over his head, tossing it onto the passenger seat as I reach between us, under my skirt, to undo my bodysuit and lift it up over my head.
Our mouths collide again and I’m lost. My senses have literally left the vehicle, but I need him more than I need the air in my lungs. With Cole, the adrenaline running through me is like a current, sweeping me away with the tide. And I want it to go on and on, tossing and turning us, taking us under and over in every way possible. I’ve never had this sensory overload with a man before, feeling such a connection, or as giddy as I’m feeling with Cole right now. I’m so hot for him. His caring, understanding nature appeals to a side of me that I didn’t even know existed.
And I’m here for it. Every single second I’m with him, I feel like I can’t breathe until we’re touching.
His eyes drop to my breasts, my bra barely hanging on for the ride because I’m breathing so heavily. My nipples are protruding into the material, forming hard peaks begging to be touched. He pulls both cups down roughly as I lift so his mouth can reach me. He holds my breasts and dips his head, sucking one nipple into his mouth with a groan. The minute his lips touch me, I cry out, reveling in his warmth and how good his skin feels under my palms. My whole body is burning, and my heart thuds against the cavity of my chest.
I need him naked, and the very idea that it’s about to happen has me tingling all over. I clutch his head, watching him suckle me as he laps at my breast, then does the same to the other one. His tongue licks the end of my ni pple, then flicks it back and forth. Oh god, his hot mouth, his lips… it’s too much.
I moan at everything I’m seeing and feeling. “I need you, Cole.”
Our eyes meet and when he says, “Touch me, I’m gonna die if you don’t touch me.” I know that this is going to be a night I’m never going to forget.