The Rules In Paradise (Playing By The Rules)

by Woods, Lindsey

  The bartender set another drink in front of me and I gave him a ridiculous smile. I knew it was ridiculous because it felt ridiculous and sloppy. Despite the fact that I knew I was pushing my limits I took a big sip. Was this what it was like to be with someone? When they weren’t around you drugged yourself up so that you didn’t have to deal with them not being there?

  “Pathetic.” I said aloud though it was meant for a thought in my head.

  “You doll? I don’t think so,” said a voice from behind me. I turned much too quickly and saw a man, tall, extremely large arms standing behind me smiling.

  “Who’re you?” I said, trying my hardest to focus. He smiled and sat down next to me at the table.

  “I think I’m about to save you from yourself. I’ve watched you drink yourself into oblivion all night.”

  “Nope. Still got some more to go.” I raised my glass and took another sip. The cup came down with a splash.

  “Why are you sitting here looking beautiful for nobody.”

  “He didn’t come.”

  “Who didn’t come?” Asked the large man.

  “The man of my dreams.”

  “Did he say he’d meet you here?” This guy was genuinely trying to figure out what I was talking about.

  “No. I just assumed the man of my dreams traveled with Prince fucking Charming over there.” I pointed my thumb in the direction of the pool tables behind me.

  “Ummm?”

  “It’s not fair. There is never supposed to be one without the other. I have to watch that hot mess go down while I sit and think about him. He did it on purpose. He wanted me to get the hint.”

  “The hint?” He asked.

  “Yeah, that I was just his piece of Mexican ass and he wasn’t going to see me again. I get it.”

  “Are you Mexican? You don’t look like it.”

  “No you idiot, ass in Mexico. Anyway, I thought we were going to be together. Turns out that’s not going to happen.”

  “So here you are drinking because he didn’t show up?” The guy asked. I nodded my head in a very over-dramatic way. “I supposed his loss could be my gain. If you’re up for it, in the United States that is.” He laughed like he was the funniest guy in the room.

  “I hope that you don’t spend all of your days preying on intoxicated women in bars. Many a man has gotten in trouble for doing such things.” I made a mistake as I spun around to see the disembodied voice. This time I nearly lost my balance on my stool. I felt my center of balance start tumbling toward the floor and then his arms were under my arms.

  “No ma’am. You have no clue what or who has been on this floor. Can you sit up?” His voice was smooth and warm and it tingled every single part of me. He sat on the stool next to me. His hand still grasping my shoulders.

  “I had to take a later flight, and I find you here beyond intoxicated chatting it up with some muscly stranger. Not what I envisioned for this evening Olivia.” His face looked slightly worried and even a hint of anger was swept in there.

  “I thought you weren’t coming. I thought you didn’t want to.” I felt the tears starting to build. I wasn’t a very stable drunk.

  “Oh stop that Olivia. I was so upset that I could not fly in with Jason. There were things that had to be taken care of. I’m here now though. Come, let’s get you home. You’re starting to get sloppy.” As he helped me stand my legs felt wobbly and the alcohol now had a real chance to travel through my blood.

  “Starting?” I asked as I broke into a disgusting rendition of my own laughter.

  “I’m taking her home. I will see you guys there.” I heard Cole call as we walked toward the door.

  I spent the cab ride home with my eyes closed, trying to push down the alcohol that was beginning to try to creep up. The cab finally stopped outside my building and I heard Cole shuffle in his wallet for money.

  “Don’t worry, he’s got it,” I said as I opened my door and nearly fell out into the street. Quickly Cole was at my door, holding me vertical and walking me towards the front door. The elevator ride was less than fun as my full stomach sloshed around. The doors opened and I half walked to the door.

  “Olivia, where are your keys?” Cole asked in a stern voice. I had to think about that question for far too long until I started trying to dig in my back pocket. I finally fished them out and Cole opened the door.

  “Let’s go, you need to get right into bed. I’ll be there in a moment. Be careful.” I trotted down the hallway and fell into bed. I heard my bag spill, but I couldn’t get up the nerve to care.

  “Here, take these and drink this.” Cole placed two asprins in my hand and then handed me the glass of water.

  “Finish it.” He warned. I begrudgingly drank the water.

  “It’s hot.” I said as I started pulling at my shirt.”

  “Jesus Christ Olivia. You’re like an infant. Come here.” Cole maneuvered over me and lifted off my shirt.

  “Pants.” I said, throwing myself back on the bed. I heard him curse as he unzipped my boots, pulling each one off followed by the zipper on my jeans.

  “I had assumed this would be my reality under different circumstances tonight,” he mumbled as he starting sliding them down my hips and legs. “There, you are temptingly undressed yet too intoxicated for me to feel right taking advantage of you. I need you to sleep this off Olivia.”

  I snuggled into my pillow and got comfortable. I felt the bed move as Cole got up. I immediately panicked.

  “No! Stay. Don’t leave me,” I cried out. I heard him sigh and then felt his weight shift the bed again.

  “You are lucky that I am utterly infatuated with you Olivia. Now sleep.” I closed my eyes, feeling him next to me and within moments I was out.

  Chapter 14

  I felt my heartbeat in my head. Every pulse brought me closer and closer to tears. I tried to move but my head felt too heavy. I kept my eyes closed. The sound of the shower running could be heard over the pounding in my head. Why would my shower be running? Adrian had never used my shower before. I couldn’t focus enough to get up and investigate. I heard the water shut off and minutes later the door opened. Suddenly I remembered being brought to bed, and that voice.

  “Good morning sunshine. It’s after ten in the morning. You should probably get up.” His voice was much too loud.

  “Shut up. Please.” I heard him laugh.

  “I can only imagine the pounding in your head. I was hoping you’d be up so I could take you to breakfast. How about you get up and we’ll go out?” I finally opened my eyes a crack. The sky was kind of overcast, thankfully. My eyes opened a little bit more as I watched Cole walk around my room, and dig through his bag. His wet hair was slicked back, I was able to see bare chest and back. The best part was the towel that hung dangerously low. I suddenly didn’t feel quite so bad.

  “I’m happy you came,” I said. My voice was hoarse and it hurt my head to talk.

  “Me too. Another minute you would have been leaving with that bulky man.” His tone did not make me feel warm and fuzzy.

  “You’re mad.” I tried to ask it as a question, but it came out more as a statement.

  “You put yourself in a dangerous position. You drank yourself into oblivion. Why?” He had unfortunately put on a shirt.

  “Because I thought you weren’t coming.” I felt like an admonished child.

  “So because you thought I wasn’t coming into town you decided the best idea was to get drunk and see who else was out there?”

  “No, it wasn’t like that. He came and sat down to talk to me. I wouldn’t have left with him.”

  “How do you know? You hardly even knew it was me taking you home.”

  “That’s not true,” I said in my defense. “I was upset to see Jason here and no sign of you. I got an e-mail from you that you’d call me tomorrow. Here I was finally home, and he shows up. Of course I was disappointed.” He had pushed my buttons and I was beginning to get upset.

  “Well I’m disappoint
ed in how you dealt with it. You can find me down the street in the bar, chatting it up with some buxom blonde.”

  “That’s not fair.”

  “It’s not fair that my surprise for you was ruined by your own stupidity.” His face was beginning to turn a pink shade, I could tell he was becoming increasingly angry.

  “Stupidity? Indeed Cole. I’m stupid for being so upset that I had to watch my best friend swoon over the man she adores while the guy I care about is God knows where. That’s stupidity alright. Remind me not to be hurt next time we have to leave each other.” I got out of bed, making my walk seem as strong as I could. I felt slightly stupid storming out of the room in just my bra and underwear, but I didn’t have a choice. I slammed the bathroom door behind me.

  I immediately turned on the water and took off the few items of clothing I still had on. How dare he blame me for being upset that he wasn’t here? I’d like to think he’d feel the same way if the roles were reversed. I had no interest in that guy. I didn’t even know what I was saying to him. Actually, I was talking about Cole to him. I wasn’t going anywhere and even if I was too drunk to notice, Adrian would have stopped me.

  I let the water run over me even after I had washed my hair and body. I didn’t want to spend however long he was here, fighting. I put my hair up in a towel and wrapped one around my body as well. Cole was sitting up in my bed, now fully dressed in jeans and a T-Shirt. I walked around my room, gathering my clothes without making eye contact. For all I knew, he didn’t look up from his phone. I returned to the bathroom and dressed. When I came back out I had brushed my hair out and braided it back. I had on jeans and T-Shirt and immediately crawled into bed, putting my head on his chest.

  “I’m sorry. I should have handled it better. I just had all of these ‘what if’s’ running through my head. I didn’t know what to think,” I said.

  “What if’s like what?” He said as he rubbed my back softly.

  “Like what if you could come back but didn’t want to? Or you had decided you didn’t want to see me again? Or what if you got what you wanted?” I felt sad at all of those thoughts.

  “What do you mean I got what I had wanted?” He asked.

  “That night on the boat. For a moment I thought maybe that’s what you wanted.” He didn’t say anything for a few minutes. The longer the silence went on the more nervous I got.

  “Olivia, I would not have put up with you for the whole week if I only wanted sex. I might be a man, but if that’s what I was after, I would have looked elsewhere. I’m slightly hurt that that particular thought crossed your mind,” he said.

  “I know, I’m sorry. Just in the heat of the moment I thought the worst about you not being here. Now you’re here though and I couldn’t be happier.”

  “I am happy to be here, but I am quite angry at your behavior. You say I am the one who has to get his way, yet you threw a fit like a child when your expectations were not met.” The more he talked the smaller I felt. I felt moderately justified in what I have done, but he was making me feel like an admonished child.

  “Look, I was emotional. I was finally home and glad to be back. Then Jason shows up and he is a reminder of you. Then he and Adrian are all over each other and I have to go be a third wheel to their date. I already missed you when you left. This just made it worse.” I didn’t know how else I could explain it. I was hoping he would just drop it.

  “Do you really think those things? Those things you were thinking ‘what if?’ about?” He tone was odd, almost hoarse.

  “They crossed my mind, yes.”

  “That saddens me,” he said.

  “I’m sorry, thoughts just cropped up in my head and I imagined the worst case scenario.”

  “Yes, indeed. The worst case scenario about me. I have done many things in my life I am not proud of. I am not a liar, nor do I use people. I pride myself on the way that I do business and the way that I treat most people. I do not lie and I do not use people. I have never lied to you. I have never used you for sex, or anything else. I spent my time with you because you were intriguing, someone I felt a connection to. I did not spend countless hours dealing with your smart-ass mouth so that I could get laid. If I wanted to get laid I would have found a willing woman and spent my down time fucking her brains out. I’m sorry that you seem to distrust me though I have given you no cause.” He sounded angry and spoke in a stern tone.

  “I honestly didn’t think you were capable of those things, I just thought in general terms. I didn’t picture you only wanting sex or picture you lying. I just thought about you as any other guy.”

  “Is that what I am to you Olivia? Any other guy?” He asked.

  “No, that’s not what I’m saying. You know that’s not what I meant.” I felt like I was stumbling over every word I said.

  “I don’t understand. What you say and what you mean have never been two different things. That is part of what I enjoy about you. You tell me what is on your mind.”

  “What I mean is I was upset you weren’t here, millions of bad things ran through my mind. I didn’t believe any of them to be true, but they were irrational thoughts. I want you here. I am so happy that you are. I want to forget about all of this and go back to when we didn’t fight.”

  “Well, there is a perk to fighting, you know,” he said. His voice had changed completely. It was now low and gravelly.

  “Which would be?” I asked.

  “Make-up sex,” he said, smiling wide.

  He sat up and maneuvered me so I was laying down. He was on top of me in seconds kissing me deeply. Seconds later I felt his hands on my stomach, raisin my shirt. He bent and kissed the exposed skin of my stomach before he lifted my shirt over my head. His lips traveled from my stomach up to my chest and neck and finally back to my lips. I was pretty sure that every nerve in my body was at attention. I couldn’t help but let my mind float back to that night on the boat.

  As he kissed me I reached under his shirt and felt his hard back and chest. His skin was warm to the touch and I took this opportunity to tug at the bottom of his shirt until he sat up and lifted it off himself. He was the hottest thing in the universe. His eyes were light and intense. His chest and stomach were perfectly solid but not scarily so. His skin was soft and smelt like fresh shower and cologne.

  He leaned back and rested on his heels as his hands crept to the top of my jeans. It was pure torture to watch and feel him unbutton the button and slowly slide down my zipper.

  “Hey guys, we’re going to lunch if you wan…Oh my gosh, I am so sorry.” Adrian stopped mid-sentence and backed out of the room, slamming the door.

  “We’re going to lunch, do you want to come with us?” She called loudly through the door.

  Cole smiled at me and shrugged. “I’m starved. Get dressed, would you? It’s already past eleven for goodness sake,” he said with amusement as he got off the bed and opened the door, shirtless and all.

  “We would be absolutely love to join you. If you would give Olivia just a few moments to put some clothes on we’ll be right out and ready to go.” His tone was nothing short of amazingly charming. Adrian looked from him to me, still laying on the bed in my bra and unbuttoned jeans. I put my arms over my head in sheer mortification.

  “Gr-reat, we’ll wait in the living room,” she stuttered, unsure how to take him.

  He closed the door and couldn’t hide the grin on his face despite his valiant effort. He reached down and picked up his shirt, sliding it on. He threw my shirt at me, having it land on my stomach.

  “Our party awaits my lady, try to look presentable for them.” I grumbled under my breath as I put my shirt back on and redid my pants.

  “I’ll never forgive her or you for this,” I said through clenched teeth.

  “Me? What did I do?” He looked truly shocked.

  “You said yes!” I scolded as I opened the door. Cole laughed behind me as we walked out to the living room.

  We were greeted by a round of applause and hooting
and hollering from the people sitting around the living room. I blushed a deep red as I saw Adrian, Jason, Charlotte and Kyle all clapping. I embarrassedly hid my head against Cole’s chest as he accepted and reveled in the attention. He had a slight blush, but was taking it like a true man.

  “Thank-you, thank-you. I aim to please,” he said which erupted the room with laughter and we finally left.

  “How about we order everyone a round of shots,” Cole whispered to me as we all looked at our menus.

  I gave him a dirty look. We were seated at a table at a small Italian restaurant downtown.

  “Olivia mentioned that you and your soon to be father-in-law were in business together, what is it that you do?” Cole questioned Kyle.

  “Well, he owns a law firm a few miles from here. I will be taking my Bar this summer and he has already asked me to become a partner,” Kyle said.

  “Oh, what kind of firm is it?” Cole asked with genuine curiosity.

  “Well he’s a shrewd businessman and he is diversifying right now. I’ll be real estate law, he has a number of different guys in there practicing every law available. He’s covering all his basis and hiring guys that are good, not just those that practice a specific specialty.”

  “That’s genius. Do you do local cases only or are you able to work outside of the city?”

  “It depends on the specialty. Every guy is licensed in different states. Depends on what you need and where.” Kyle took a sip of his drink.

  “Well good luck on the Bar and congrats on the upcoming nuptials,” Cole said, working the table as only he could.

  He continued to direct the conversation to everybody at the table. I noticed he took his time inquiring about each person leaving nobody feeling left out. It warmed my heart to see him interacting with my friends. He fit in perfectly. It was only the second time I was able to see his God-given talent in action. He knew the exact right thing to say and when and how each person would respond. I imagined his mind to be working overtime, calculating what he was going to say to each person’s personality.