Saving Us

by Heather D'Agostino

  “Cole?” I tried to press back, tried to speed up, tried to do anything to get there, but he held firm and continued his slow assault on my senses.

  “You’re so fucking perfect, everything about you, Maddie. I can barely think straight when you’re around,” he plunged in. “You’re on my mind in the morning, at work, at night. When I wrap my fingers around my cock and fuck my hand, you’re the one I’m thinking about,” he slid back out.

  “I don’t know how I made it this far without you,” he said and pushed back in. “You’re the light in my world, the one who makes everything brighter. I’m going to be yours if it’s the last thing I do,” his hips rocked back out and as I began to shake in pleasure, he finally gave me the release I’d been searching. “Let go,” he whispered in my ear as he sucked the lobe into his mouth and nibbled gently. All at once, stars flashed and blinding pleasure consumed me.

  It was like nothing we’d experienced together. We’d always been fast and hot, but this was all consuming. Every muscle in my body clinched as I shivered and tightened around him. He groaned as he swelled inside me before exploding and releasing a grunt. His body shook as his arms banded around me holding me firm to him. “I’m never gonna get enough of this. You make me want things that I never thought I’d have,” he murmured on a sigh as he held me there. “I love you,” he turned my head, cupped my cheek, and placed a deep kiss to my lips. When he pulled away, he gave me a sexy smile, “Now that’s the way I like to say good morning.”

  “Me, too,” I yawned, “but now I think I might need a little more sleep.”

  He kissed my temple, “Go back to sleep. We’ll get cleaned up and head out later. We’re in no rush.”

  “K,” I yawned again before letting my eyes close and drifting off into a deep sated sleep.

  ooooooooo

  Cole

  When I woke up for the second time today, I couldn’t help but smile. It had been so long since Maddie and I had had a morning like the one we did today. We’d been back and forth for weeks now, and it finally seemed liked we were heading in the right direction.

  She looked so peaceful curled up on the bed. Her hair was a tangle of chocolate fanned out on the pillow, and the dark sheets were a strong contrast to paleness of her skin. It was summer, but you could tell that she hadn’t been outside much. One foot was peeking out, and the sheet that had been covering us had slipped down and pooled around her waist exposing the soft creamy skin of her back. It took everything in me to climb from the bed and get in the shower. I knew if I waited on her, we’d be making love again, and would never leave the apartment. I had made plans for us to go to Wes’ cabin, and I knew once we got there, we’d have plenty of time to spend in bed, or on the couch, or in the lake, or wherever else we deemed appropriate.

  “Maddie?” I nudged her lightly and watched her nose twitch. “Time to wake up, baby,” I leaned down and kissed her back.

  Her eyes blinked open adjusting to the early afternoon sun before she stretched and yawned. “What time is it?” she glanced around the room and her eyes widened when she saw my bag sitting by the door.

  “A little after one,” I smiled. “I went home and got my things so we could just leave from here. I didn’t want to wake you. You needed the sleep after the night you had.”

  She nodded as she sat up and wrapped the sheet around herself, “Give me a few minutes to shower, and I’ll be ready to go.”

  “Take your time,” I smiled. “We’re not on any schedule. I just want to get there before dark.” She nodded again before she stood and scurried into the bathroom.

  After showering and packing, Maddie and I made our way down to my Explorer, loaded our stuff, and took off for the mountains. I couldn’t wait to get out of the city, and it seemed Maddie felt the same way. The farther we drove, the more relaxed she became finally slipping a smile into place when we merged onto the highway.

  “This is perfect,” she grinned. “I didn’t know how much I needed this until just now. Thank you,” she reached over and placed her hand on my thigh.

  “You’re welcome,” I chuckled. “I can’t think of anything more relaxing, and only a few people know where we’re going to be. You can stop worrying about that asshole and enjoy some time away. You’re safe this weekend. Remember that,” I implored as I reached down and squeezed her hand with mine.

  “Thank you,” she glanced over at me. “I’m sorry I come with so much baggage. I don’t know how I’ll ever tell you how much this means to me.”

  “You love me,” I shrugged. “That’s enough in my book.”

  ooooooooo

  Maddie

  I don’t know how long we were in the car. I fell asleep not long after we left the city and only awoke when the Explorer began bouncing down a dirt drive. I peered out the window, taking in the scenery. It was beautiful. Both sides of the drive were lined with lush woods. The trees were starting to get their leaves back, and a warm summer breeze blew through the car. The sky was the bluest I’d ever seen, and when I looked out the windshield, I saw a sparkling crystal lake. “Wow!” I gasped. “Where are we?”

  “Paradise,” he grinned as he turned and parked the car in front of a huge house.

  “This isn’t a cabin,” I hissed as I shoved open my door and climbed out.

  “It is in Wes’s book. You’re forgetting…he used to fight professionally. This was an escape for him, and sometimes he trained here,” Cole shrugged. “Wait until you see the inside.”

  “I want to go down there first.” I pointed to a dock that jutted out from what looked like a small boathouse.

  “Go ahead,” he chuckled as he lifted his arms. “We can do whatever we want.”

  I laughed as I pushed through the trees and rushed down to the lake. The sun was high now, and it made the water sparkle as if covered in diamonds. When I reached the dock, I slowed, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. The air smelled different here, cleaner if that makes sense, and the sounds of wild life all around me caused me to smile. Birds were chirping, squirrels racing through the woods, and chipmunks chattering.

  “It’s peaceful, right?” Cole’s voice startled me causing me to spin to face him.

  “I love it,” I grinned as he approached me. “I may never want to leave.”

  “We can come back whenever you want,” he shrugged. “Summer is the best time to be here.” He crept closer and smirked, “We can go skinny dipping later if you want.”

  “Mr. Walker…are you trying to get me naked again?” I teased as a giggle escaped me.

  “Maybe,” he grinned. “Is it working?”

  “Play your cards right, and I might spend our time here wearing nothing but a smile,” I giggled again as I walked past him and headed for the house. I wanted to explore it, and I couldn’t help the lightness this place was giving me. This was the best idea ever. Richard would have never done something like this for me. As Cole trailed behind me back up the hill, I couldn’t help but let those last few bricks of the wall I’d built crumble to the ground. Cole Walker was saving me in more ways than he knew.

  Chapter 7

  Maddie

  After unpacking our things, I decided to explore the house. When Cole had first told me that we’d spend the next four days at Wes’s cabin, I kinda figured we’d be staying somewhere small. Maybe a one-bedroom shack type place with no heat or air conditioning. I’d gone camping as a child and loved it. Richard had never wanted to. I’d begged him one weekend back in college to go with my friends for a weekend trip for Labor Day.

  They had made it sound like so much fun. He’d laughed at me at first as if he thought I was kidding. When he realized that I wasn’t, it turned into a fight. He’d made me feel like it was the dumbest idea ever. When my roommate had asked me if I was coming, I laughed and told her it really wasn’t my thing. She’d furrowed her brows, but didn’t push me. Most of my friends knew that Richard forced me to share his interests. If he didn’t want to do something, then I didn’t either. I’m
sure back then my friends thought I was brainless or something, but what they didn’t know was that this was the only way to avoid the pain. All it took was trying to push an issue and I ended up with an injury of some sort.

  “Whatdya think?” Cole called from the door.

  I spun around to see him leaning against the jam. His ankles were crossed as well as his arms. His shoulder propped on the frame, a small piece of hair hung down on his forehead. His smile was bright and held the excitement of a little boy. “It’s great,” I grinned. “Wanna give me the tour?” I giggled. Cole had come here before, so the grandeur of the place wasn’t anything new for him.

  “Sure,” he pushed off the frame and shrugged. “Let’s start in here,” he stepped up to where he was toe to toe with me, and reached for my hand. “This is the living room,” he grinned as he waved his free hand out in front of himself.

  “I couldn’t tell,” I deadpanned before busting out in a chuckle.

  “Watch it,” he narrowed his eyes on me.

  “Sorry,” I bit my lip. “Continue.”

  He started moving, and when we rounded the corner, we stepped into the kitchen. “This is where the magic takes place,” he motioned to the state of the art appliances. “I love to cook, and I can’t wait to put all this to good use.”

  “Hmmm,” I glanced around before sobering my face. “I thought the magic would take place somewhere upstairs, but here works, too,” I reached out and glided my palm across the counter in front of me. “Seems big enough.”

  “Maddie,” he growled under his breath.

  “Yes?” I tipped my head back and batted my eyelashes at him.

  “Don’t ‘yes’ me. You know exactly what you’re doing,” He wrapped his arms around me, and pulled my chest and hips flush with his. “Do you feel that?” he leaned down next to my ear. “I’m going to forget this fucking tour and move right to the actual fucking if you don’t watch it.”

  I swallowed before kissing the corner of his mouth. “I’ll be good, I promise,” I whispered as I attempted to step out of his embrace. I enjoyed this new side of myself that I was discovering. It felt good to flirt, and it had been forever since I’d even tried to.

  He let me go before threading our fingers back together and leading me to the stairs that ran along the far wall. We slowly ascended the open staircase only stopping at the landing to look out into the open living area. It had looked beautiful from down there, but this view was amazing. The exposed beams and wooden walls gave it that rustic feel, but the plush leather furniture and high-end lighting screamed luxury. “There are two smaller bedrooms here,” Cole pointed to two doors off the left, “but we’re staying in here.” He pushed open a set of double door in front of us.

  When the doors were open all the way, I gasped at the sight before me. A huge four-poster king sized bed, draped in burgundy linens, sat in the middle of the room. Placed at the foot of the bed sat a padded bench. I’m sure Cole was thinking the same thing I was when he saw it. His eyes gleamed, and he snickered as he led me farther into the room. “This could come in handy,” he smirked.

  “Hmmm, maybe,” I shrugged as I moved around the room exploring it. Beautiful oak furniture filled the wall space, and a wall of windows ran along the backside of the room allowing scenic views of the lake in the distance. “Is this Wes’s room?” I swallowed. It felt wrong being in here. The idea of doing the things Cole was implying in someone else’s room left me feeling odd.

  “When he’s here, it is,” Cole moved over behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

  I tensed slightly even though I fought it. I placed my hands over his and leaned back while I continued to stare out the window. “It just feels wrong.”

  “What? To be in here?” He leaned down and placed his chin on my shoulder. “He doesn’t care. He rents this place out when he’s not using it, I promise.” He kissed me right below the ear. “We’re not the only ones who have stayed in here.”

  I relaxed a little as he nuzzled my neck, “If it bothers you that much, we can stay in one of the other rooms, but then you wouldn’t get to use this,” he turned and guided us to what I assumed was the bathroom door. After opening it, I couldn’t help the gasp that slipped out. It was huge, with marble floors, a double vanity, a monster sized jetted tub in one corner, and a double shower in another. The toilet had its own room, and off to the side was what I assumed to be the master closet.

  “Nice, huh?” he laughed. “This right here controls the heat,” he pointed to a panel on the wall.

  “Heat?” I wandered farther into the room.

  “Yeah, the floor’s heated,” he shrugged. “You can steam the place up this way too, or frost over that window if you want privacy, but nobody comes around here so I don’t think that feature’s ever been used.”

  “Why doesn’t Wes come up here anymore?” I turned just in time to watch a pained expression drift over Cole’s face.

  His head fell back, and his eyes drifted close as if he was deep in thought, “I don’t really think it’s my place to tell you that, but let’s just say he didn’t buy this place alone. It was a joint purchase that didn’t end well.”

  “Oh,” I sighed. “A woman?” I nodded as I watched him. I knew I was right, and I didn’t want him to break his best friend’s trust, but I couldn’t help myself.

  “Yes,” he quickly jerked his head in the affirmative before heading toward the door effectively ending the conversation.

  When we got back downstairs, Cole showed me his favorite room, the gym. “Saving the best for last,” I giggled as we rounded the outside of the house.

  “Something like that,” he chuckled as he opened the door beside the garage and flicked on a few light switches. One-by-one fluorescent bulbs began to illuminate the ceiling. “This is where the magic happened for us,” he swept his hand out in front of himself. “I used to come here every weekend with him and help him train.”

  The room didn’t look anything like McKay’s. Instead, this place was set up for specific types of training. A heavy bag along with a speed bag was in one corner, a roped off area with pads was set up like a fighting ring on the far side, a treadmill and weights were along another wall, and a scale was by the door. “Didn’t know men worried about their weight,” I mused as I ventured in.

  “You have to maintain your weight to qualify for your class,” he murmured as he began striding over to the weight bench. His fingers trailed along the bar sitting in place ready to be lifted. The way he touched was so reverent, as if he was remembering something important.

  “You ok?” I called as I came to a stop not far behind him.

  “Yeah,” he shook his head and slipped a smile back into place. “Just thinking,” he brushed me off as if whatever was on his mind was too painful to share, and I decided not to push. I had enough demons to know that he would share when he wanted to and not to push before he was ready.

  “So, how many times have you been in here?” I moved over to the ring, and ran my hand along to top rope.

  “Too many to count,” he smiled before moving over by the door. “You ready to eat?” he motioned outside. “I can cook up some dinner on the grill. We can do this tomorrow,” his voice sounded sad almost, but I took the cue he was offering and quickly agreed to dinner.

  “Dinner sounds nice,” I nodded as I joined him by the door, before heading back up to the deck. I would find out whatever was bothering him soon enough.

  ooooooooo

  “So when did Wes stop fighting?” I placed my fork down on the edge of my plate and waited for Cole to pause in his chewing. We’d decided to eat outside. It was a nice night, and the sun was just setting over the lake. Cole had cooked some steaks on the grill, as the fireflies began to come out, the crickets chirped, and the woodland nightlife began making its presences known.

  “Five years ago this fall,” he sighed as he lifted his beer to his lips. “It seems longer though.”

  “Why’s that?” I cocked my head t
o the side.

  “It was his life for as long as I’ve known him. I didn’t think he could walk away like he did,” he leaned back in his chair and let his head fall back. I watched as his chest rose and fell along in time with his breathing. He seemed troubled, and a ragged sigh escaped him.

  “Was he any good?” I pressed. I’d never heard of Wes McKay. I didn’t follow MMA. Richard wouldn’t have let me even if I tried. He had determined my interests for all those years.

  “He was ranked in the top five in his weight class,” Cole mumbled before pushing his plate away. “He trained more than anyone I knew. I helped him when he was around Boston, but I didn’t travel with him. I worked at the gym before he bought it, that’s how he found out about it.”

  “Why did he stop?” I too finished my dinner and placed my plate off to the side.

  “Victoria,” the name slipped out on a whisper and Cole’s eyes flashed as if he hadn’t meant for it to. “I can’t talk about this,” he grumbled as he stood and grabbed our dishes. “I’ll be right back. Why don’t you move over there where it’ll be more comfortable? I’ll be back in just a sec.” He stood, grabbed the dishes, and retreated into the house.

  I moved over to the lounge chair with the large cushion just as Cole reappeared with a bottle of wine. “Thought you might like some of this,” he lifted the bottle in the air in silent invitation.

  “Sounds nice,” I patted the spot beside me, inviting him to join me.

  He lowered himself onto the cushion, poured us each a glass, and then relaxed back holding his arms out beckoning me into them. “Wes was at the top of his game,” his voice was quiet, and I knew he was telling me this because he wanted me to trust him. He was telling me things he hadn’t shared with anyone, even though talking about this seemed to hurt him. “He was young, cocky. He was unbeatable at one time, and had a great trainer. I traveled to the matches that were close by, but I was also trying to help my mom and sister back then. When Wes fought at the Cartwright Arena, his biggest match his third year on the circuit, he met Victoria. She wanted to sign him under her, be his agent,” he clarified for me.