Chapter 3 #2
Seemingly oblivious to her presence or scrutiny, Cole gazed straight ahead with single-minded focus, gripping the steering wheel in his large hands like he expected to do some serious defensive driving in the now quiet back roads to Axle Alley.
She understood why he’d still feel anxious behind the wheel.
What she didn’t understand was why he kept it all bottled up inside, refusing to talk to anyone about the accident.
She still didn’t know exactly what happened.
In fact, she knew nothing, except that Cole had been hurt when he’d crashed his patrol car.
Even Deke wouldn’t tell her any details.
If her brother had tried and failed to get through to him, what chance did she have?
Her need to help everyone, to fix their problems, would have to go unsatisfied where Cole was concerned, and it was driving her bat-shit crazy.
Unrequited feelings aside, Cole wasn’t just anyone.
He was extremely important to her, special.
He’d made her feel that way many times in her life.
Had been there to make her smile when she was feeling low. She wanted to do that for him now.
But he was keeping her, everyone, at arm’s length.
The realization that she’d nearly spilled her guts after he’d helped her with her dress, that in her frustration she’d nearly said how she felt about him, lumping all that extra baggage on his shoulders, was cringe-worthy.
And selfish. But she was just so sick of his pretending he had no idea how she felt about him.
How could he not know? She’d practically salivated all over him on the dance floor. She winced. Then there was “the call.” After a night of shots and a good dose of alcohol-induced courage, she’d phoned him, blurting her feelings onto his answering machine like the lovesick fool she was.
He’d done nothing about it. Acted like it never happened.
So why she felt the need to force the issue was beyond her. It wouldn’t change anything. It would only make things more awkward between them.
Cole pulled into the short driveway in front of her cottage, shut off the engine, and shoved open his door.
Dammit, she just wanted him to leave so she could wallow in her self-pity in peace. “I’m fine. You don’t need to walk me in.”
He was already out of the car. Resting his hand on the roof, he leaned back in. “I’m walking you to the door.”
“I said I’m fine.” He shook his head, grumbling under his breath. She stiffened. “What did you just say?”
He pushed away from the car and strode around to her door, pulling it open. “I said you’re stubborn. Now get your stubborn, sweet ass out of the car and up the damned steps.”
“My sweet ass?” Piper blinked up at him.
Over the years, he’d called her a pain in the ass many times.
When she was seventeen and she and Rusty had been singing and dancing in the backseat of his car, he’d told her to sit her ass down, but never in all the time she’d known him had he referred to her ass as sweet.
He stared down at her. “Pipe, your hearing seems fine, yet you’re still sitting in the car.”
She shivered, unable to stop herself. Would she ever get used to that voice?
That voice did not belong to Cole. It belonged to someone else.
It had always been deep, but the damage he’d taken to his vocal cords in the accident had altered it completely.
He had that whole gargling gravel thing going on, and when he directed it her way, she felt it right between her thighs.
She covered her shivers by rubbing her arms, when cold was the last thing she felt right then. “Well, aren’t we extra bossy this evening.”
He held the door open and grunted. Lovely.
“Did you take an extra dose of grumpy with your Wheaties this morning?” She couldn’t stop herself from poking the bear, trying to get him to react.
Not that it did her any good. He completely ignored her, just stood there waiting.
And I’m the stubborn one. Grabbing her purse, she climbed out, holding up her dress while rummaging through her bag to find her house keys.
Thank god she still had Cole’s jacket on, and not just for the obvious reason.
Her nipples still hadn’t recovered from the effects of having that voice directed at her, all growly and demanding, and were hard and aching.
She could feel his eyes on her as she took the steps. Hear his uneven gait as he followed behind her.
So focused on the man at her back, she misjudged the second step and stumbled forward. “Shit.”
Quick as a flash, he grabbed her around the waist, dragging her up against his hard chest and stomach, rescuing her before she could fall.
“Jesus Christ, Piper. Watch where the fuck you’re going.” Then he growled under his breath, something about paying more attention to her surroundings and needing some goddamn sensible shoes.
Her fingers had automatically latched onto his forearm, and she could feel the hard, corded muscle bunch through his shirt. “There’s nothing wrong with my shoes.”
Righting herself, she carried on, noting the way his hand dropped away only to settle against the small of her back.
All her nerve endings seemed to cluster below the point of contact, while that gentle press through his jacket, a firm, steady, reassuring weight, guided her up the rest of the stairs.
She’d always been a physical, huggy kind of person, but Cole’s hand affected her more than the simple touch should, made her off balance, breathless, and yeah, hot as hell.
He snorted. “They’re fucking near indecent is what they are.”
“Indecent?” she sputtered. “Are you saying they look like stripper shoes?”
Her pulse picked up speed when they reached the door and he didn’t remove his hand. No, he slid it up from her lower back to her shoulder. Her world narrowed, and all she could focus on was the continued contact.
She jumped when he reached around, taking the keys from her fingers, bringing that solid wall of warmth in close, hard against her back.
“You want to go inside, right?” His voice rumbled through his chest, vibrating against her.
She desperately wanted to lean back into him.
“And no, I don’t think they look like stripper shoes. ”
He unlocked the door, and Piper rushed inside, needing some distance between them. She flicked on a light and punched in the code on the security alarm. “Well, I wouldn’t tell Alex you don’t like them…” Her words died on her lips when she spotted an envelope on the floor.
She hadn’t realized she was frozen until Cole moved up behind her. “Piper? What is it?”
Scooping it up quickly, careful not to tear her dress from top to bottom, she shoved it in her purse. “Nothing.”
Goddammit.
The last thing she needed was Cole going all overprotective, ex-cop on her, or worse, telling her brother.
They’d gang up on her and make her move.
Deacon already hated the idea of her living on Axle Alley alone.
If he knew someone was harassing her, bombarding her with calls and showing up at her front door unannounced, trying to push her to sell the cottage, he’d force her to move out.
She had no doubt her sister and Alex would take his side as well.
Her house was sitting on prime land, and apparently, this particular real estate agent was having trouble taking no for an answer.
The guy needed to clue in, she would never sell her gran’s cottage. Never.
“Doesn’t look like nothing.”
She forced a grin. “Just some junk mail. Do you want a drink or something?” She looked over her shoulder to find him studying her, bright blue eyes taking her in, like he was trying to figure her out but failing miserably.
“I’m checking the place before I go.” Then he limped past her, into her house.
Guess that’s a no on the drink, then? “I have an alarm, remember? You put it in yourself,” she called after him. Of course he ignored her.
She threw her bag on the couch and went after him.
He was walking out of the bathroom, crossing the hall to her bedroom.
“Cole.” She didn’t want him in her bedroom.
It was kind of a mess. It was also the place where she’d had numerous dirty fantasies about him.
Somehow it seemed far too intimate for him to see where she slept, where she occasionally touched herself while thinking about him.
She jogged clumsily after him in her heels. “Cole…”
She rounded the corner and found him standing by her bed, body locked, eyes fixed on the scrap of pink silk and lace she’d bought on a whim when they’d all gone shopping for Alex’s honeymoon.
Usually, she’d save something so expensive for a special occasion, but that was before.
Before she decided to enjoy herself. Before she’d decided to stop waiting around for things that were never going to happen.
Now she had a whole collection of silky nighties, and she wore them all.
He made a noise in the back of his throat that sounded a lot like a growl, then lifted his head. His cheeks had darkened, and his eyes glittered when they locked with hers. Crap. She jammed her lips together, cringing inwardly, and rushed over, shoving it under her pillow.
“That’s just my…It’s…” She turned to face him, but he’d moved. He now loomed over her, all big and scarred—and beautiful.
“Your what?” he rumbled.
“My nightie?” Why she posed it as a question she had no idea. Right then all she could focus on was the way her pulse had narrowed to an agonizing point between her thighs, pounding so hard she had to squeeze them together to stop the ache.
His breathing grew heavy, eyes wild. “You wear that to bed?”
She bit her lip and nodded, not sure what was happening here but damn sure she wanted to find out. The product he’d used to tame his shaggy locks had given up, and his hair fell forward, brushing his forehead. Without conscious thought, she stepped forward and lifted her hand to brush it back.
He grabbed her wrist, and she sucked in a startled breath. “Cole?”
Without a word, he tugged her forward, so close only a breath separated them. He stared at her lips, licking his own, like he wanted to devour her.
She unconsciously mimicked the action.
Please, take a bite.
He lifted his hand, then hesitantly ran a gentle finger over her lower lip, watching its progress with an intensity that confused and excited her.
She held her breath, time standing still.
She wanted this, wanted him so bad it hurt.
Cautiously, she cupped his scarred cheek.
Silently, telling him to do it. Kiss me.
A harsh breath rushed past his lips. And before she knew what she was doing, she went up on her tiptoes and pressed her mouth against his.
An agonized sound tore from him, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her tight against him. His lips were firm, warm—and unmoving. She slid her tongue along the seam in an attempt to coax him, and when he didn’t respond, she sucked on his lower lip, then nipped.
He hissed against her mouth, and one of his hands slid up her spine, cupping her neck, fingers thrusting into her hair. He held her immobile, and just when she thought he might pull away, he slanted his mouth over hers and kissed her, hard.
He started walking, and she stumbled backward until she hit the wall. His other hand moved to her ass, and he hoisted her higher, shoving her legs apart.
Oh God.
Was this actually happening?
He ground against her with a growl, cock hard and insistent between her legs. His mouth moved along her jaw to the sensitive spot below her ear. “Jesus, Pipe, you have a body made for sin.”
His muttered words thrilled her, excited her.
Cole wanted her.
He pinned her to the wall with his body, and the hand on her ass moved around and skimmed her belly before sliding down between their bodies.
She whimpered, wanting to beg him to touch her but too afraid to speak in case she broke the spell. She clung tighter, hands on his shoulders, moaning when his fingers brushed the bare, heated skin low on her belly…
Music came from the living room, Rusty’s ringtone, blaring from her phone.
Cole stilled, resting his forehead against the wall, panting heavily. “Fuck.”
“Don’t stop,” she whispered, squeezing his hard biceps.
He released her abruptly, letting her slide to the floor, and stepped back. His eyes were dark, heavy with lust. His cock strained against the front of his pants, and his fingers were curled into tight fists at his sides.
He wanted her as much as she wanted him, but for some reason he was pulling back, pulling away.
“Shit.” He shoved a hand through his hair, making it stick up on one side, and shook his head. “That should never have happened.”
She crossed her arms, and she noted the way his gaze dropped to her chest before lifting back to hers. “Why not? We’re both consenting adults.”
His heated expression shifted, twisted into something else, something that looked a lot like pain. “I shouldn’t have to spell it out for you.”
“Well, you do. Because I can’t think of a reason.” She stepped forward. “You want me.”
He let out a shaky breath. “It doesn’t matter. I can’t do this, Piper. This can’t happen between us.”
Then he turned away and, gait unsteady, walked down the hall and out the front door, closing it quietly behind him.
She stood there for several seconds, body hot and buzzing with the aftereffects of his kiss, of having his hands on her. She’d never felt more desirable, more wanted than she had in those few minutes with Cole, his body pinning her to the wall.
She didn’t know what was holding him back. Maybe loyalty to her brother? It didn’t matter, whatever it was.
She now knew the truth.
He wanted her, too.