by Cathryn Fox
She smiled. “That’s so nice.”
“You know what else is nice?” he asked, wanting to help lighten her mood.
“What’s that?”
Wanting to pull a laugh from her, he shimmied his pants lower on his hips until he exposed the top of his ass. “Me playing plumber. Now come on. We have a sink to repair.”
Haley laughed out loud and Cole grinned. He gathered her hand in his to guide her to the kitchen. After they repaired the sink, they went for a hike, and Haley took tons of pictures, although they both knew none of them would end up in the calendar, but she seemed to like shooting him just the same. After their hike they made their way to the water, and with no one else in sight, no distractions for miles, Cole took that opportunity to make sweet, passionate love to her on the dock.
They spent the rest of the day hanging out, talking and laughing and just being comfortable with each other. When night approached, and they all gathered for a meal, Cole knew she’d come to mean so much to him, and deep in his heart he knew what was between them went well beyond sex.
Once the dishes were cleared, Allison produced the board game, but when he turned and caught the mischievous gleam in Haley’s eyes, he quirked a questioning brow.
“I’d rather just go watch a movie,” she admitted.
“We don’t have a TV.”
“I have my laptop.”
Cole angled his head. “What are you up to?”
“Come find out.”
When he rose from the table, hoots of laughter could be heard from the other four before they turned their attention back to the game.
Haley grabbed her camera equipment and led Cole to the boathouse. Once inside, she set her laptop up on the bench and snuggled down next to him on the sofa.
He groaned. “You’re not going to make me watch a chick flick, are you?”
Heat danced in her eyes. “Not exactly.”
Cole stared at the computer monitor with curiosity, and a moment later his jaw dropped. “Jesus, Haley,” he said, his cock growing as he watched the two of them making love on the screen. “How? When?”
“Well, I taped us this afternoon, down at the dock.”
“Haley,” he began, suddenly uncomfortable. “If this ever got out, it could ruin me.”
“Me too,” she said.
He looked at her long and hard and didn’t miss the implications in what she was doing. It occurred to him that putting herself on camera with him was show of trust on her part, and it touched him that she trusted him enough to know he’d never use it against her.
“The thing is, Cole, I learned something about myself this weekend.”
“That you like watching?”
“Astute, aren’t you?”
He grinned. “Very.”
“Well, I wanted to see if you liked it too.”
He stole a glance at the monitor and watched the way he’d buried his face in her pussy. “Yeah, baby,” he whispered, as lust zinged through him. “I like it very much.”
“And don’t worry,” she said. “I’ll erase it when we’re done.”
“We might not have to.”
“Why?”
“Because with the way it’s turning me on, we might just wear the memory card out well before morning.”
Chapter Six
Haley loved seeing Cole’s heated reaction to her secret little sex video. She also loved the way he was currently looking at her with equal parts lust and mischief.
“Now, I think it’s time to reenact a few of those scenes.” He gripped the hem of her T-shirt and peeled it over her head to expose her breasts. “You know,” he began as he cupped one mound and lightly brushed his tongue over her pebbled nipple. “You have the most beautiful breasts I’ve ever set eyes on.”
Haley moaned in erotic delight and asked, “Really? And you’ve set your eyes on many?”
He grinned. “Yeah, I’d say so, which pretty much makes me an expert on the subject.”
Laughing, Haley slid a hand between their bodies. “Well, you have the nicest cock I’ve ever seen.”
“Oh, and you’ve seen many?”
“No, not many,” she said honestly, thinking about how crazy she was about this man, and how, in such a short period of time, he’d come to mean so much to her. But it did raise the very important question of where she stood with him. She knew he had a reputation as a playboy, but she also knew something potent had happened between them these last couple of days. Come tomorrow, when the long weekend was over and it was time for them to pack up, would they pack their affair up right along with it?
God, how could she possibly go back to the way things were after being with a man like Cole? So much had changed since she’d arrived there, and while she hadn’t intended to fall for him, and had intended to keep this about sex, there was no way she could keep her emotions out of it. Not with a guy like him. And after talking to him about his family and siblings and how happy they all were, it gave her a modicum of hope that true love really did exist, especially if you were with the person you were meant to be with. It made her want to try.
He made her want to try.
She thought about her parents and how they were always trying to marry her off to a man of their choice, a man who would make them all look good in public. Deep down she truly believed her folks wanted her to be happy, and if they could only see what she saw in Cole—that he was an amazing, caring guy—then surely they would accept him. And if they didn’t…well, that was their loss. Due to her career and her parents’ position in society, what she did in public might be under scrutiny, but what she did in private, and who she did it with, was entirely her own business
Deciding to find out what came next, she lightly brushed her hand over Cole’s cock and studied him carefully, wanting to read his reactions. “You know, now that I’ve seen yours, I really don’t have a desire to see another.”
When warm heat that spoke of something deeper moved over his face, her heart leapt, and everything in the way he was looking at her told her what she needed to know. He felt the same way about her as she felt about him. A bond had been made. An unspoken connection had been tied between them. She let loose a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and almost sobbed as emotions and sensations whipped through her.
“As a matter of fact, Haley, I was thinking the same thing.” He dropped a soft, passionate kiss onto her mouth, then licked his lips. “God, I love the taste of you.” His voice was shaky when he added, “And now that I’ve tasted you, I have no desire to taste another.”
“Cole,” she murmured as he smothered her words with a heated kiss. A low growl of longing sounded in his throat as he slid his hands through her hair.
“You know what else I love, sweetheart?”
“No, what?”
“I love how open you are with me. How you can just be yourself.”
“I guess you never knew I was so naughty beneath the nice.”
He chuckled. “It’s been a pleasant surprise.”
Desperately needing to make love to him, to feel him inside her, Haley leaned back on the sofa and offered herself up to him.
His breathing changed, grew labored. “I need you naked, Haley.” She didn’t miss the raw ache of want in his voice. It thrilled her beyond anything she’d ever known.
They both removed their clothes, and a moment later, after he sheathed himself, he was on top of her, his beautiful cock deep inside her pussy. As white-hot desire claimed her, she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight, never wanting the moment to end, never wanting to be out of his arms.
This time his lovemaking was slow, needy and tender, but every bit as powerful as before. His mouth found hers as he brought her higher and higher, and a myriad of emotions tightened her chest as she tumbled into orgasm. She whimpered with pleasure as he kissed her long and hard.
“So good,” he whispered into her mouth as he released with her, their hot bodies melding as one as he let go high inside her.
Cole stayed close to her as they all cleaned up and put the cabin back in order. Once the others were gone, Cole walked her to her car. He hovered over her, his hands touching her all over.
“So,” he whispered. “Can I see you tonight?”
She gave him a playful wink. “If you’re real good, I’ll let you see all of me tonight.”
Looking boyishly charming, he said, “I’d rather be real bad.”
She opened her mouth to respond but closed it when his cell phone interrupted them. He pulled it from his pocket and checked the caller ID.
“Sorry, Haley, I have to take this. It’s my agent.”
He stepped back an inch, and that’s when she noticed him favoring his leg. She frowned and berated herself for not paying extra attention to his needs. But they’d been so caught up in making love, neither had given his injury the proper attention it deserved.
Haley threw her bag into her trunk, and when she heard the worry in Cole’s voice, her stomach tightened. She shot him a glance and didn’t miss the distress on his face. When his eyes met hers, she instantly understood that he’d just received bad news. As she continued to listen, to decipher the situation from Cole’s half of the conversation, her throat tightened and her heart went to him.
Oh God, how could they do this? If there was one thing she’d learned this weekend it was that Cole’s career meant everything to him, and he had so many people counting on him. Guilt ate at her for not taking better care of him, and she gave herself a quick lecture for her inattentiveness.
As she watched him pace, his broad shoulders tense and his jaw locked in concern, she decided then and there she had to do something. There was no way she would sit back and let them take away his career, not when she could do something about it.
Cole paced the living room of his big, old, empty house as his conversation with his manager bounced around inside his head until he was lightheaded. A sense of panic raced through him as he thought more about what his manager had said—if he wasn’t back on the field for training in one month, the coach was going to bench him. Since his contract was up next year, if he sat the months out, it wouldn’t just ruin the upcoming season, it threatened his entire career.
Antsy and agitated, he raked his fingers through his hair, and turned his thoughts to Haley. His injury might have been the worst thing that could have happened to him professionally, but it was the best thing to happen to him personally. Hell, if he hadn’t hurt himself, he wouldn’t have gone to Haley for rehabilitation, and their weekend of bliss never would have happened.
Just thinking about her had his heart racing and his stomach clenching. After he’d shared his news with her, she seemed distracted and maybe even a little troubled. At first he assumed she was as distraught by the turn of events as he was, but now—well, now that she’d called to cancel their dinner plans tonight, an uneasy feeling grew inside him.
Just then his cell rang and his pulse leapt. He hoped it was Haley. He pulled it from his pocket, and disappointment settled in the pit of his gut when he flipped it open.
“Cole, it’s Carter. I’m at Lakeside Country Club with Sean. A tour bus just arrived, and the charity project manager asked if I could round up all the guys for an impromptu publicity gig.”
Cole glanced at the clock. Since he no longer had dinner plans, and had given up on Haley calling to reschedule, he figured he might as well go. Besides, he really wanted to do his part for the fundraising campaign. It was important to him.
Less than thirty minutes later he arrived at the country club. He stepped through the double doors and glanced around the posh interior looking for Carter, but when his glance landed on Haley, leaning in close and talking quietly to a stuffed shirt at an intimate table in the corner, his heart nearly stopped. His glance shot to the other two people seated next to her, and he instantly recognized them as her parents. His mind raced, and his thoughts immediately went down a road he had no choice but to travel.
Christ, had her parents set her up with another stuffed shirt? Had she canceled her date with him for this? Whatever the hell this was.
Then another, more disturbing thought struck. After he’d delivered his bad news, he’d noticed a change in her. He’d felt something inside her shift, something that begged the question, now that his career was on the line, was he no longer good enough for her? Was he wrong to think she’d actually fallen for the poor boy beneath the jersey?
Maybe his mother was wrong. Maybe money really did buy love.
And maybe he really, really needed to get the hell out of there.
With emotions tearing him up inside and his throat closing over, he made a move to go, but then warm and wonderful memories of his weekend with Haley, the real Haley—the girl beneath the image—stopped him. He took another moment to look at her, taking in her perfectly painted lips, perfectly manicured nails, and perfectly form-fitting cocktail dress. Her eyes were narrowed, concerned, as she talked quietly to a man with a Blackberry not two inches from his hands. Something was definitely going on, but every instinct he possessed told him it wasn’t what he’d first thought.
He started toward them, and as if sensing his presence she lifted her head. When their gazes met, the concern in her eyes deepened. If he didn’t know better, he’d guess the unease spreading across her face was because after their wild weekend, after their unspoken commitment to each other, he’d just caught her with another man.
But he did know better.
And this time he was the asshole for even thinking she would do this to him.
She placed her napkin on the table and stood to greet him. When he got close, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. “Cole, what are you doing here?”
With a gesture, he nodded toward Carter and the guys. “Impromptu publicity.”
“Oh, I hadn’t even seen them there.”
“That’s because you were in a very serious conversation.”
“Right,” she said, her voice hesitant. “I…uh…”
“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” her father asked. Cole turned toward her father, and the elderly gentleman smiled at him. “Actually, no introductions are needed. We all know who you are, son, and of course Haley here hasn’t stopped talking about you.”
He turned back to her, feeling ridiculously giddy that she’d been talking about him. “Really, you’ve been talking about me?”
“Well, you see…”
Just then Stuffed Shirt’s Blackberry chirped. He stood and said, “Haley, after seeing you two together, I know why you’re doing this, and I must say I understand. I was young and in love once too. And we’ll readdress the promotion issue when you return.”
As an uneasy feeling mushroomed inside him, Cole shook his head. “Does someone want to tell me what’s going on?”
Haley blew a breath and rushed out, “Cole, this Mark Peterson, the hospital’s chief of staff and my boss. I asked for a leave of absence.”
His stomach twisted as his mind worked to decipher her words. “You did what? Why would you do that?”
“Because,” she said, poking him in the chest, “we need to get that leg of yours better, and we’re on a time crunch.”
“You’re taking a leave of absence so you can work exclusively with me?”
“Yes.”
He gave a hard shake of his head. “I can’t let you do that.”
“Which is why I didn’t ask you.”
Incredulous, he looked at her long and hard, his heart racing as fast as his mind. “Why didn’t you ask me, Haley?”
“Because you wouldn’t have let me.”
“Damn ri
ght I wouldn’t have.”
Haley turned to her dad. “See?”
Her dad smiled and simply said, “I see.” And with that, he and his wife, along with Mark Peterson, excused themselves, leaving Haley and Cole alone.
He gently cupped her face, a barrage of emotions squeezing his chest. “Haley, sweetheart, I can’t let you do this for me?”
“You don’t have a choice.”
“Your promotion—”
“That’s why I met with Dr. Peterson. I wanted to explain the situation to him.”
He let out a long sigh, amazed by the thoughtful, caring, beautiful woman he’d fallen in love with. “I have a confession to make.”
Her body tightened, concern moving back into her face. “What?”
“When I first saw you sitting here with your folks and that guy, I thought…well, I thought now that my career is on the line that maybe I was no longer good enough for you.”
“You think I’m that shallow?”
“No, I don’t, which is why I’m a total asshole for letting that thought into my head.” He pulled her against him. “You’re the most giving, caring woman I’ve ever met, but I’ve spent my whole life wanting you and believing you were out of my league.”
“You…you spent your whole life wanting me?”
He threw his head back and shook it. “God, girl, you have no idea. I’ve been in love with you since high school.”
Her eyes widened with surprise and happiness. “I thought you never bothered with me back in the day because athletes didn’t associate with good girls on student council.”
“No, sweetheart. I thought you were out of my league.” He winked and added, “Besides, you’re not that good of a girl anyway.” When she gave a sheepish grin, he drove his thumb into his chest. “And I might be an athlete with a successful career, but I’m really just a poor boy beneath the jersey. That’s the guy I want you to like.”
Emotions moved over her eyes. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you money doesn’t buy love?” She gave a humorless laugh. “Just look at my parents.” Then she got quiet, thoughtful for a moment, and her voice was soft when she said, “I’m helping you because your job is important to you, you have a family counting on you. I’m not doing it because I need you to be some soccer star in order to be good enough for me. The truth is, Cole, you’re unlike any other man I’ve ever met, and maybe that’s because you really are that poor boy beneath the jersey. But it’s that boy who is sweet, sincere, attentive and so damn sexy he makes me wild.” She grinned and added, “I don’t care if you wear a jersey or work in the mill with your dad. I love you for who you are.” She tapped his chest. “In here.”
