Broken Barriers (Barriers Series Book 4)

by Shirley, Sara

  Showtime.

  As I pulled the bags from the backseat of my car, I heard the front door creak open. Looking over the hood of my car, I saw Cole standing in the doorway. If the pounding in my ears was annoying before, it just became ten times worse at the sight of her. God, she looked amazing. With the light at her back, it was almost as though she wasn’t real. Just a vision I’d imagined being there waiting for me.

  “You need any help?” she asked from the porch, and I knew she was really there and not my imagination.

  My mind stalled for a minute before I realized I hadn’t answered her. I took the last bag from my car and kicked the door shut with my foot. With both hands full of bags, I walked in her direction. “Nope. I should be able to manage this,” I said as I struggled to not drop one of the many items in my hands.

  She chuckled as she leaned against the doorframe with her arms folded across her chest. “You sure about that? You don’t look like you have a good handle on any of that, and I’d hate to have to order a pizza or something because the dinner I was promised ends up all over my front yard.” A slight grin spread across her lips, and the closer I got, the more I needed her help.

  With a forced sigh, I dropped the bags at the bottom step before grabbing one and handing it to her. She pushed off the door and took a couple of steps in my direction. Her brown hair flowed along with her seafoam green sundress. Simple beige wedge sandals completed her outfit and gave her an added couple of inches to her long tanned legs.

  Cole bent down to grab one of the bags, and I found myself looking down the haltered “V” of her dress. The small swell between her breasts had me hypnotized at the moment. I instantly pulled my eyes away and up to see her face smirking at me. She rolled her eyes, and I heard her softly sputter the words, “typical guy” before she turned and walked into the house.

  Well, that was just how I wanted to start the night off. Dammit, Drew! I thought about all the warnings Morgan gave me the day before and how much guys had taken advantage of Cole. I refused to let myself be one of those guys. She was more than another notch on my bedpost. I believed she had the gift to heal and mend what was broken inside me.

  I had to remember that. I had to keep telling myself that.

  I was attracted to her. Friends. Just friends having dinner. I just had to keep telling myself that.

  Even if I was attracted to her natural beauty and the subtlety of her smart-ass humor, there was something there that was just too much like…

  “You coming in here tonight, or are you just going to stand out there and make me starve to death in here?” Cole’s voice bellowed from inside the house. Only then did I realize that I hadn’t moved an inch since she caught me staring at her breasts.

  As I stepped into the foyer of her ample-sized 1920s style bungalow, everything that was Cole hit me all at once. The rich, dark-brown wooden floors stretched across the open area. The L-shaped staircase to my right with cream-colored walls was lined with framed photographs Cole most likely took at some point in time. Images, some color and some black and white, were a mixture of landscapes and architecture. My eyes perused images of the Eiffel Tower, a gondola on the canals in Venice, and the Golden Gate Bridge set behind the fog of the bay.

  The soft sounds of music and pans clattering at the other end of the house broke my survey of the photographs. As I adjusted the bags in my hands, I stepped through the small living space where warm black leather furniture contrasted against the white fireplace with built-in bookshelves on both sides. A mixture of green and beige pillows added to the cozy feeling of the room. A large wood-framed mirror over the fireplace enhanced depth to the small space. A flat screen TV sat in the corner of the room, while bungalow-style windows allowed the evening light to brighten the room where the recessed lighting couldn’t reach.

  I finally made my way into the kitchen and was immediately shell-shocked, like I’d suddenly stepped foot into another house. I could tell this was the one place Cole felt most at home. This was her room that gave her the most comfort and happiness. White cottage-style cupboards, some with bead board fronts and some with glass inserts, bordered the room. Stainless steel appliances shimmered against the soft overhead lights that hung above the sink and the island in the center of the room.

  My Sanuk-covered feet shuffled into the room, and I placed the bags gently onto the black granite counter just as Cole pulled something from the fridge. She moved over to the sink, smiling in my direction as she dropped a small carton of fresh blueberries into the strainer over the sink. She softly sang along with the music coming from her tablet at the edge of the counter. The woman’s voice was haunting, but so powerfully moving. The words spoke for themselves. Without even knowing the artist, I sensed her pain. I felt it with each note Cole hit with her humming.

  “Who’s that singing? Her voice is incredible,” I said as I began removing Sam’s pre-arranged food trays onto the counter.

  Thank you, Sam!

  Cole tilted her head solemnly. She glanced out over the bay through the window over the sink as she turned off the water. Slowly, she turned to face me, her face void of any emotion. “That’s Mary Lambert. You might know her better from that ‘Same Love’ song.”

  “Really. I would have never thought that was her.” I stopped pulling items from the bag and stared at Cole. I swore I saw a single tear fall from her eye, but before I asked if something was wrong, she brushed her hands across the hem of her dress, shaking off whatever or whoever was just on her mind. She cleared her throat and quickly pushed a button on the tablet to change the song from what it was to something sensually upbeat.

  Her mood changed instantly, and she was perky and bubbly, similar to how she was at the bonfire that night. One minute she was off in another place and the next she was moving her hips to the beat of the music in her own kitchen. She reached for the glass-covered tray in front of me and quickly took a peek underneath. “Ratatouille! Oh my God. It’s my favorite! How did you know?” Her face lit up. She softly clapped her hands, clearly ecstatic over Sam’s choice for a meal. Cole then uncovered the tray and pushed a few buttons on the oven. She sang along again with the music as she placed the ceramic pan into the oven to cook. Obviously, she knew exactly how to cook this, and my services were no longer needed.

  I fished around in the other bag in front of me and pulled the bottle of wine and fresh flowers from it while she was not looking. I took a few steps in her direction until I was standing behind her, close enough that she still didn’t sense me. Cole slowly began to straighten her back, preventing me from staring at her bent over any longer. I swore, her legs went on for miles. She shut the door to the oven and set the timer. “So, how did you learn to make—” She gasped. Her question was cut off as she turned to see me. Her eyes were fixed on the flowers in my hand, and her mouth fell open as her wondering eyes met mine. “For me?” Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. “Drew…”

  I outstretched my arm and presented her with the bouquet of pink and peach roses, hydrangea, peonies, and dahlias. “For you,” I said as I gazed at her bright blue eyes. Sam swore I couldn’t go wrong with this combination.

  A light blush appeared on Cole’s cheeks before she raised her hand over her heart. As she gently took the flowers from my hand, she leaned up ever so slightly and brushed her lips against my rough cheek. “Thank you. I love them.” She pulled away and headed to grab a colorful vase from under the sink. The warmth of her lips heated my cheek as she filled the vase with water. While she placed the stems into the vase, I used the bottle opener from the bag and opened the wine bottle.

  “I hope you like Pinot Noir. My sister said it complements the meal nicely.” I pushed the wine opener device down and pulled the lever up along with the cork. At the sound of the pop, I placed the bottle to the side to let it aerate.

  “Your sister is quite right, and yes, I do love red wines. Any type is fine.” Cole reached up to the cabinet, grabbing two stemless wine glasses. Her arm glided against my sk
in as she reached around me to grab the wine bottle. As she poured the two glasses, I moved along the side of her. Cole pushed some hair off her face, tucking it behind her ear. Her sun-kissed skin shimmered with color from possibly being out on the water too long this summer. My eyes wandered along her slim neckline down to her bare shoulders. I was suddenly at war with myself, as I wanted to run my fingers along her skin, but kept them tucked firmly within my pockets.

  Without warning, she turned with the wine-filled glasses in her hands, and I quickly moved a few steps backward to prevent her from knocking into me. My shameless eyes didn’t hide the fact that she knew I was staring at her again. Cole’s eyes lowered to stare at the glasses in her hand before she handed one to me and brought the other up in front of her.

  I raised my glass and clinked it against the side of hers. The vibrating ring sounded from between the two glasses, and I watched the side of her lips curl up as she brought the deep claret liquid to her lips.

  Her languid body stood before me as a few strands of her hair fell in front of her face again. Cole pushed the unruly pieces behind her ear once more, as she had no idea just how beautiful she was. Our eyes connected, and I could almost sense she noticed my attraction to her without even saying any words.

  I dropped the wine glass from my lips, and my mouth dropped open, but no sound came out. Suddenly, she had me speechless, and I felt like it was a high school crush all over again. What was it about this woman that sent me into a fog the minute I saw her eyes staring back at me?

  Without fail, I missed my chance as she placed her glass onto the counter and turned away. Her wedge sandals softly thumped toward the dining room. Windows that overlooked the water surrounded the table and buffet. It was a strange feeling to be on this side of the water and glance out to see my house across the bay instead of hers. I wondered if there were nights where she was over here and never knew I was over there staring back at her house, too.

  Cole’s humming interrupted my thoughts as she moved about in the dining room again. Two white ceramic plates were set on brightly colored placemats, offsetting the dark cherry wood table and chairs. Cole placed the vase of flowers she grabbed on her way in the center of the round table. White pillar candles flickered against the clear glass enclosure, illuminating romantic lighting across the dimly lit table area.

  I watched her hips sway along with the music as I listened to her softly singing along to the song. She was captivating me with her slow seduction even if she didn’t know it. Then I remembered what I knew about her being hurt before, and I reminded myself to not get carried away. I had to tread lightly if I wanted to take whatever this was I was feeling for her to the next level. I didn’t know if she felt the same twinge of excitement around me that I felt around her.

  I lowered my wine glass to the counter again and made my way in her direction. I needed to know where she was. Before we watched her movie, ate dinner, or even made blueberry muffins together, I had to know if what Morgan said the other day was the truth. I couldn’t sit here tonight not knowing if there was something we both were feeling. I was tired of beating myself up over never going after the things that were or were not worth fighting for. If she was feeling what I was, then screw it. I was living in this moment and to hell with the consequences.

  As I approached her, she turned around after adjusting the placemat and gasped softly at my closeness. Her tongue slid along her lips, moistening them so they glistened in the soft light. Her eyes bounced over my face, telling me she was trying to avoid looking me in the eyes. She was shy and nothing like the women I’d been around before. Her breathing escalated as her chest rose and fell heavily, and I sensed she was nervous.

  She had to feel something, too.

  I slowly raised my hand to brush a piece of hair from her face. Her eyes followed my movement, and the second my fingers touched her warm skin, her eyes fluttered, and she released a deep breath.

  “You’re beautiful,” I said, not knowing quite where my voice came from. It slipped out without warning, and Cole’s eyes widened with alarm, and the moment was lost. She backed up and made her way around me.

  “Dinner should be ready soon,” she said as she took a few hurried steps to the fridge. My eyes followed her until she opened the door and stared inside. I knew she was avoiding whatever this was with us as she stood there not really looking for anything.

  I took four slow long steps to stand behind her again. “Cole,” I whispered before her head turned to glance over her shoulder, and I raised my hand to push the fridge door shut. “Cole, look at me.” Her body turned around, but her head remained lowered. Her eyes focused on the floor instead of me while her fingers twisted together.

  With the edge of my finger, I pushed her chin up to see her face. Her eyes opened, moisture within them. Had she been crying? “What’s wrong? Tell me, please.” I narrowed my eyes at her, thinking maybe my assumption was wrong. Maybe she didn’t feel the same attraction for me as I did for her.

  I watched her battle internally for a split second before she shuffled backward to lean her back against the fridge while my arm still held firmly to the handle.

  “Drew…” Her voice was timid, but firm. I’d heard that tone before. My heart raced, and my stomach dropped. I knew the end result before she spoke. I pushed back to avoid becoming upset with myself since I knew where this was heading. Then her voice broke me from my inner turmoil. Her arm extended, grabbing my elbow just before I was about to turn away. “I don’t want to feel what I feel when I’m around you.” She cleared her throat. I looked into her worried eyes and waited for her to tell me I heard her wrong.

  She did feel what I did. I tried to speak, but her delicate fingers quickly silenced me as they rested over my lips. I had to fight the urge to taste her lips. Tasting her would be more intoxicating than her touching my lips. I smelled the hints of freshly cut flowers on her fingertips, and my senses were suddenly on full alert. I was in a clouded state of mind with just a single touch from her.

  “Drew…I’ve been hurt before. You have to know that by now,” Cole said, moving closer to me. “I’ve pushed myself away for so long, but with you…” Her fingers slid from lips, leaving me wanting them back. “…there is something calling me to push through all that I’ve hidden behind for years and see what this is.”

  I stood in shock. Did she really just say she was willing to push through her barriers for me? Perhaps I misunderstood and my mind was so foggy that I was dreaming she said anything at all. I was completely lost for words.

  “Why me, Cole? I’m broken, and I can’t promise you anything will work out with us.” I moved back slightly, giving her some space.

  She took a deep breath as she clutched her stomach with her arm. “Because something in my head is telling me to fight for you and I cannot ignore that voice anymore.”

  Fight for me.

  She told me she would fight for me, and for the life of me, I didn’t understand why. I just knew I needed to know she was real. I needed to feel her touching me. My feet moved closer as I invaded her space, and her eyes widened with excitement.

  “Cole…” I said as her hand slowly came up to rest on the side of my cheek. I leaned into her a little more before dropping my head to her forehead. My eyes shut in the process. With a deep breathy voice, I told her exactly what was running through my mind. “I need you to fight for me. I want to know why you make me feel things I haven’t felt in so long, Cole.”

  She was so close now, the warmth of her breath near my face. My eyes opened to see her staring back at me. I ran my hand tenderly up along her arm until it rested at the nape of her neck. I felt her pulse beating rapidly under my touch. Her breathing quickened, and I slowly moved my lips to within inches of hers. “Please, tell me I can kiss you,” I begged. She pulled at her lips before she nodded, silently allowing me to finally take the chance I needed to take. I ran my tongue along the seam of my lips, moistening them before I pulled her slowly into my mouth.

&nb
sp; Ding.

  Cole chuckled slightly and pulled her warm lips away. “Dinner is done,” she said, grabbing the potholders from the counter. Bewildered, I watched her as she turned off the dinging timer on the oven.

  Did that really just happen?

  She pulled the ratatouille from the oven, carefully placing the hot platter onto the spider burners of her oven. She removed the glass cover as steam rose into the overhead fan. Cole grabbed the bowl off to the side and sprinkled some of the freshly grated Parmesan cheese I brought on top of the steaming vegetables.

  She turned around slowly, wiping the cheese from her fingers onto the dishtowel hanging from the front of the oven. A brazen smile formed on her lips, and I knew then she knew the timer would go off when it did.

  I moved closer to her, hovering inches from her face. “You knew that would happen, didn’t you?” A deliberate look of surprise rolled across her face, but her laughter couldn’t hide the fact she knew how much time she had.

  “I have no idea what you are talking about.” Her voice was stern, but I could tell she knew. I gently placed my hands on her hips and her face changed from devious to suspicious. Her eyes widened with curiosity as I continued to back her up against the white cabinets. “Drew,” she whispered. Her chest rose and fell as my heart beat loudly within my ears. I needed to know what this woman tasted like before I even took one bite of dinner.

  Her hand rested flat on my chest, and I was pretty sure she felt just how much she affected me at that moment. There was no denying my interest in Cole Porter. She was stunning and simple at the same time and had already taken hold of something inside me that couldn’t be explained.

  Before I gave her a reason to back away again, my lips were brushing over hers. I barely had to lean down to her. She was already nearly eye level with me as it was. “Tell me no, Cole, and I’ll stop.” I leaned my body into hers as my hands moved up to wrap themselves within her hair. I inhaled deeply and shut my eyes, smelling the exotic scents of her perfume combined with the savory aromas of dinner on the stove.