The Fidelity World: Retribution

by Andrea Bills

  Annie’s heart skipped a beat. Did Cole really watch her every move? She had never noticed, unless he was glaring at her.

  “I like him, too. He may not know anything about pig farming, but it says a lot that he went out there in the first place. To get in the pen, no less; he’s a trooper.”

  “Much better than that Penny guy.” Her dad grumbled.

  Her father had never cared for Trey. They hadn’t spent more than a few hours with the guy, but her father had instantly taken a dislike to him. Annie had been upset at the time, but now she realized her parents were just much more intuitive than her. If only she had been able to see Trey for the monster he had been before she had got herself in such a mess.

  If she hadn’t met Trey though, she wouldn’t have ended up with Cole.

  Her cell phone rang again. The unknown number. Annie went to hit the decline button but then thought better of it. She decided to answer it to let the person know it was a bad number.

  “Hello, I think you have the wrong number.” She said.

  “Annie? It’s Karen.”

  “Yes, is there a problem?”

  “Yes. Are you with Cole?”

  “Kind of, he’s in the shower.”

  “I need you to get him the phone immediately.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Annie hurried into the bathroom. Cole had just been getting out of the shower, and he hurried to wrap the towel around his waist.

  “It’s Karen.” She said, handing him the phone.

  Cole accepted it, his face scrunched in concern.

  “Yes?” He answered.

  Instead of leaving him to his privacy, Annie stood there staring at him, waiting for something to be said that would give her a clue as to what was happening.

  “You’re sure?” Cole said, his hand balled in a fist at his side.

  “Please do.” Cole said, before disconnecting the call and giving the phone back to Annie.

  “What’s going on? How did Karen get my number?”

  “Trey’s somehow managed to find out about Infidelity, and he’s applied for a contract.”

  “My God! Cole, we can’t let him.”

  “Karen is aware; she called to alert me because Trey was unable to give her a straight answer as to how he found out about the company. She believes he may have traced the money.”

  “So, he may know about us?” Annie asked in horror.

  “Yes.”

  “Annie, is everything okay?” Her mother asked.

  Once her mother saw Cole, she squeaked and hurried back into the living room. Annie was still reeling from what they had just learned to even care what her parents would think of her standing with a half-naked man in their home. Cole reacted faster than her. He grabbed her shoulders and turned her toward the door and gave her a pat on the butt to send her out of the bathroom. Annie turned to glare at him.

  “I’m not a dog; you could have just asked.” She growled.

  “And miss the chance to see your eyes change to that exhilarating shade of blue? Never.”

  Annie’s anger fizzled, and she knew she was smiling like a schoolgirl as she hurried out of the bathroom. The door clicked behind her. Her dad was waiting for her in the living room, his arms folded across his chest, and a frown firmly in place.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Cole

  Cole came out of the bathroom planning to call his private detective. He needed to ensure that no one found out about Infidelity or Annie and his involvement. There was so much at stake. He couldn’t imagine Trey having the resources to trace the financials for a company as secure as Infidelity, but there was no other explanation as to how Trey ended up there. A coincidence was too farfetched.

  He was greeted by a very stern looking Bob. When he looked over to Annie, he took in her crimson red face and a ghost of a smile. Cole was confused by the two.

  “Young man. I know things are different up there in the big city, but round here there are rules. I don’t care how old you are. That there’s my little girl, and I won’t have you prancing around in a towel around her. There will be no, uhh—hanky panky—under this roof. Are we clear?”

  “Yes, sir.” Cole stuttered.

  Had her father just given him the talk? Cole had never met anyone’s parents before, so it was his first one. With everything else going on, Cole should be focused on that, but instead he couldn’t help the stupid smile that fell in place on his face. He really liked Annie’s dad.

  “Sorry sir, Annie had taken an urgent call for me and had no choice. I assure you there will be nothing of the sort.”

  “Under your roof.” Annie blurted out, and then quickly covered her face.

  Her dad shot her a death glare before turning back to Cole.

  “Sir, we understand and will respect your rules.” Cole said again.

  “Bob, leave these two alone. You’ve said what you wanted to say, now why don’t we go for our evening walk before the sun completely disappears.” Annie’s mother said, her soft demeanor instantly calming Annie’s father.

  He glared at Cole for a few more minutes, before accepting Elaine’s gentle tugs out the door. Cole let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. Annie busted out laughing.

  “You weren’t kidding.” He said.

  “Right? How about that fishing spot?” Annie said, walking up to him, and slipping her fingers partially in the waist of his pants.

  “I need to make a phone call first to do some digging on what Karen said.”

  “Okay.” Annie disappeared down the hallway, while he found his cell phone.

  Cole called his P.I. and explained to him the information Karen had relayed. Cole wanted to do more; he wanted to hunt Trey down and fulfill the promises he had made to the man the last time he had seen him. Until they could figure out what he was up to, though, there was nothing more Cole could do. He had a feeling in his gut that Trey was distracting them. It seemed like a bait trick. All Cole could do was make sure he and Annie didn’t get stuck in the trap.

  “Anything?” She asked, returning with an armful of blankets and pillows.

  “We won’t know anything for a while, Annie. Once my guy knows something, he’ll inform us. We’ll just have to take it from there.”

  She nodded.

  “About this secluded fishing hole?” He said, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

  Annie shot him one of her heart-stopping smiles and grabbed his hand, yanking him out the door. Her parents were walking back down the sidewalk, but Annie brushed passed them with a yell over her shoulder to tell them where they were off to. Cole tried to turn and say something polite, but Annie’s zest for their adventure dragged him along.

  When they got to his truck, she held her hand out for his keys. Cole reluctantly gave them up and climbed in the passenger side.

  “For a city boy, you drive a country boy truck.” She remarked as she brought the engine to life.

  “Must be fate.” He remarked, watching the rearview mirror as she backed out of her parents’ precarious driveway.

  Instead of heading back toward town, she took off down the gravel road winding them further away from civilization. Not that there were many houses around anyway, but suddenly the houses just stopped, and it was nothing but hillside on one side and the creek on the other. Annie slowed his truck twenty minutes up the road and then turned down a path. Cole couldn’t even call it a road because it was mostly grass and giant rocks.

  Trees and bushes brushed his truck as they bumped down the pathway. A clearing opened up, but it was nothing but rocks against the creek. Annie pulled the truck to a stop on top and then grinned proudly over to Cole. He had to admit he didn’t know any women that could manage to drive on the terrain she just had. Cole wasn’t even sure if he could have done a better job. The look on Annie’s face was a testament that she didn’t think so, either. He laughed.

  “Come on, I promised you a view of the stars.” She said, throwing the door open.

 
He climbed out and circled around his truck. Annie grabbed the pillows and blankets from the backseat and then tossed them into the bed of his truck. He dropped the tailgate. Before he could turn to help Annie up, she lifted herself up and onto the bed. Cole quickly followed her. Annie laid all the blankets out, stacked the pillows on one end, and then laid down.

  “Well, come on. Lay down with me.” She said, when he stood over top of her, looking down.

  She was beautiful laid out on the blankets. The only light that remained was that of the full moon. It was bright enough that he could make out her features: her curly hair all over the pillows, her full lips and the curve of her waist under her dress. Cole pulled himself from his inspection and laid down next to her, mimicking her position. When he looked up, his breath caught.

  He had seen the stars before. Morgantown had a few trails close to the campus that he and some buddies had hiked after dark to get a good view of the sky. It didn’t compare to what he was experiencing now. The air lost all of its humidity without the sun, and they were serenaded by the creek running over the rocks. The crickets weren’t to be outdone as they chirped in tune. The stars popped out one by one, creating a masterpiece in the sky. Everything seemed to slow down; time suspended. All that existed in that moment was the two of them.

  “What do you think?”

  “It’s beautiful.” He whispered.

  “I know. This is my favorite spot.”

  “I can see why. Thank you for sharing it with me.”

  She turned to him and smiled while she laced her fingers through his. He never took notice of the difference in size. His hand felt huge against her soft, slender fingers. He rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. The words he wanted to say, ones he had never uttered before, trickled up onto the tip of his tongue.

  Just as he turned to tell Annie how he felt, she captured his lips in a kiss, sealing the words between them to be left for another day. In their moment now, there was no need for words, it was just them.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Annie

  Her leg wrapped around his waist. Cole’s hand grazed up it slowly, until his fingertips teased the outline of her panties. Annie moaned against his mouth. Cole dug his fingers into her ass, pulling her even closer. Their kiss was carnal and only fueled the passion between them.

  Annie broke their kiss, as she nipped Cole’s bottom lip with her teeth. Then she rolled herself on top of him, rocking her hips against the bulge in his pants. She pressed her lips against his neck, interchanging between kisses and licks until she couldn’t go any further because of his clothes.

  “Take it off.” She whimpered.

  He pulled the top half of his body up, grabbed the back of his shirt, and yanked it over his head. Annie was desperate to touch him; her hands roamed his chest, and her lips greedily placed kisses all over. Cole’s hands moved under her dress and settled on her hips, rocking her back and forth.

  Annie kissed her way down until she was at his pants. She quickly unbuckled them and slid them down his legs. While he worked on ridding himself of his briefs, she slid her dress over her head and discarded it alongside his clothes. She quickly rid herself of the rest of her clothes and then settled herself in between his legs.

  “Annie.” He hissed, as his hand fisted in her hair, helping lower her mouth to her already intended destination.

  She didn’t waste any time with teasing. She took him in her mouth, causing his hips to buck against her. Slowly, she eased him back out. Her speed increased as Cole’s urgency increased. She wondered if he was going to let her bring him to his orgasm there in her mouth, but she had her answer when his grip in her hair tightened, and he yanked her mouth away from his erection.

  He moved her onto her back and lined himself up at her entrance.

  “You’re so wet.” He breathed, as he slid the tip back and forth across her slick folds.

  Annie grabbed his hips and tried to urge him forward, but he didn’t budge. His eyes stayed downcast to watch his torment. He took his thumb and circled her clit; Annie moaned. She felt a plethora of pleasure, as if her body would combust from it all. The most arousing thing was the look on Cole’s face. His entire body radiated his desire. She had never had anyone want her as much as Cole did right then.

  Cole’s eyes moved up her body, as if he were looking at it for the first time. He took in every square inch, until their eyes met. Annie could see something there that hadn’t been there before. From the very beginning the one thing that she and Cole had always had was their attraction to each other. When they were touching each other, there were no arguments; it was just them coming together as they were meant to. Cole’s eyes reflected that passion and so much more. It gave Annie hope; hope for a future beyond a one-year contract.

  With his eyes on hers, he buried himself inside of her. His motions were slow and methodical. Their bodies moved in time with the slow, easy running of the stream. Their soft whispers and moans added to nature’s soft lullaby. Before their bodies had come together in the heat of passion, their sex had been primal and uninhibited. Now their bodies were coming together to join as one, molding a piece of themselves inside of each other. Annie was overcome with it all as her body began to climb toward its release. She could see the same burn mimicked in Cole’s eyes. His rhythm never faltered; slowly he’d slide inside of her and then ease back out. Annie’s body responded in kind, squeezing him tight; her hips moving in time.

  She felt him swell inside of her, his breathing labored. Cole lowered himself down on his elbows placed on either side of her body; his forehead pressed to hers.

  “Come.” He whispered, and just like that, Annie did right along with Cole.

  Neither of them moved for a while, and when Cole finally rolled off her, he pulled Annie with him, snuggling her against his chest. The stars were fully out, and the air was chilly, but Annie was content. Everything was perfect.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Cole

  Everything was fucked. Cole paced back and forth on the deck as he listened to his P.I. give him an update. The man had been busy last night. Cole wasn’t sure if the man had even slept. Cole shot a glance back toward the glass deck door, but no one in Annie’s house was awake yet, thankfully. His phone buzzed with alerts he knew were coming in from his and Barry’s assistants.

  He and Annie were supposed to meet Barry in an hour for breakfast. Cole didn’t want to spend the day wandering through the streets looking for Barry a new brick and mortar store, but he needed to see it out. Even though Annie wouldn’t admit it, having Barry take her up on her joke had meant something to her. She was excited to not only show Barry around, but Cole, too. If he could just keep his shit together through the day, then he’d hit the ground running; his end destination being to plow over Trey Pennington.

  “Just keep him away from her parents, and Infidelity. I don’t care what you do, just make sure it’s handled. I’ll be back tomorrow.” Cole said, before disconnecting the call.

  Annie came down the hallway. Her hair was in its usual disarray of the morning, and she had sleep lines on her face. With everything that was screwed up in Cole’s world, Annie was perfection. He couldn’t let the ugliness of high society games touch her any more than they already had, and he especially couldn’t let it touch her parents.

  “Good morning.” She chirped, as she leaned up to place a small kiss on his lips.

  “Good morning.” Cole returned.

  Annie eyed him suspiciously, as if she could sense his tension. Her parents padded down the hallway right behind her. Her mom was wrapped up tight in a big wooly robe, and her father had on lounge pants and no shirt. Cole’s parents had never been seen outside of their bedroom anything less than perfect; it was refreshing to see Annie’s parents so relaxed and themselves. They hadn’t put on a show for Cole, and Cole respected the hell out of them for it.

  “I’ll go out and do the morning feed.” Annie said.

  “You don’t have to do that, ba
by. I’ll get it.”

  “That’s okay. I don’t mind. Truth be told I kind of miss it.”

  Annie slid on her muck boots, which gave Cole an amazing view of her ass peeking out from her barely there night shorts she always wore. She tugged on a light jacket and took off out the door. Cole started to follow her, but her dad stopped him.

  “How’d ya sleep last night, son?”

  “Good. Thank you, sir. It’s very peaceful out here.”

  “Tell us about your folks, Cole. I haven’t heard you mention them much?”

  Cole accepted the cup of coffee Annie’s mother handed him and considered his next words. There was something about the easy nature of her parents that urged him to be honest with them, so he was. He told them everything about his childhood and the death of his grandpa. Cole even told them about his plan to free his grandfather’s foundation from their greedy hold. When he was through, Cole felt lighter somehow. As if all of his problems had been lifted; he knew it was a silly and juvenile feeling, but he accepted the short reprieve.

  “Well now that’s quite a family you got there.” Annie’s father said after a few minutes of silence.

  Cole chuckled, as he moved anxiously around in his seat.

  “Honey, I hope I’m not speaking out of turn when I say this, but you have to forgive them.” Her mother said, reaching across the table and covering Cole’s hand with her own.

  Having never received affection from his own mother, Cole was shocked at Annie’s mom’s touch. He looked up at her, not sure how to feel about what she had said.

  “They’ve never even considered themselves wrong, though. It’s not as if they’ll apologize.”

  “That’s their problem. If you want to make a real life for yourself, and I’m not talking about money, I’m talking about settling down and doing something about the way you and my daughter look at each other, you have to forgive them and move on.”

  Cole shook his head but didn’t say anything. He felt blindsided.