His hands changed directions. The fabric was rolled up and over her head and along her arms without disturbing her bandages. The chill in the room whispered on hot flesh and stole a shiver from her. And not once did his gaze leave hers. The crystalline blues shimmered in the semi darkness of the room. They watched every flicker of emotion dance over her face and reflect across her eyes with an unblinking focus that was slowly killing her.
“Bra?” he asked in a murmur that was nothing more than a husky rumble.
Beth tried to regulate her breathing, praying that when she spoke, he couldn’t hear just how affected she was.
“Top flap.”
He moved away to unzip the inside flap of her suitcase. He reached inside and unearthed a white bra. He stepped around her. His chest came up against her back. The bra was brought around her. Her arms were slid through the straps and the undergarment was drawn up to her chest. It brushed the sensitive peaks and she involuntarily moaned. Against her shoulder blade, his chest gave a kick that splashed a wave of hot, ragged breath across the bare column of her neck and along her shoulder. Between her legs, her clit gave a twinge of warning and alarms sounded in her head. The crack of her heart escalated several notches faster. Her breathing quickened. She squeezed her eyes closed and begged her body not to succumb to the orgasm she could feel tightening the pit of her stomach, not a second time in a matter of hours. That morning’s betrayal had been mortifying. To fall apart when he’d done nothing but pull clothes on her … the humiliation would probably kill her.
His fingers brushed the rigid bumps of her spinal column as the bra was hooked into place. His touch was scalding and much too slow pulling away. It slid to the elastic band around her hips and hooked. He was still behind her. His every shallow breath burned her skin. He was so close, she could have turned her face and kissed that delicious mouth of his. But fear and anticipation kept her frozen in place. Her brain warred against wanting more and wanting less. She was breathing so fast her head was becoming light and rational thought was abating. Her body had become her only conscious sensation.
Her shorts gave a tug as the weight of his hands dragged around the seam to settle over her hipbones. His fingers closed, bunching the material up. The seam pulled over the swollen crest of her sex and the alarms screamed.
“Cole!” Her choked gasp burst out of her in a breathless rush that was followed by the violent quake of her body.
One hand dropped away to splay across the quivering expanse of her abdomen when she doubled over. The other stayed securely fisted in the fabric of her shorts, keeping her teetering on the edge. Sweet pain washed over her in a warm caress that had her eyes squeezing shut and her hips rocking against the approaching promise. She was so close.
“Jesus, Beth!” His snarl vibrated across the span of her back to burn against her ear. “That’s not fair.” Yet, his hand gave a tug of her shorts and she swore violently as the seam pulled against her clit. “You can’t ask me to behave and then fall apart every time I touch you.” His hips surged forward to slide the thick width of his erection between her ass cheeks through the fabric of both their bottoms. “Tell me what you want.”
It was too late to back out. She had let herself reach the point of no return and leaped straight over. Whatever happened, she would worry about the consequences later. It was all about the relief only he could bring her and nothing else mattered.
“Fu—”
His hand closed over her mouth. The action was so sudden, it forced her head back. The rest of her words hit the wall of his palm and died a muffled death.
“Don’t,” he warned quietly against the side of her face. “If you say it, I will throw you down on that bed and beat four years of sexual frustration into that pussy of yours and you’re not ready for that. You’re still hurt and I’d never forgive myself if I hurt you even more. But when you’re better and you can handle the things you know I’m capable of…” He ran his lips along the curve of her cheek to her ear. His voice dropped to a husky whisper. “I will make you forget how it feels not to come and come hard often.”
His hand slid away from her mouth to clamp around her arched throat, keeping her head back. The other hand, the one still giving tormenting little jerks of her shorts, released.
“Let’s go take a walk in the cold.”
When she could think of nothing to say past the steady hum between her ears, he grinned and took a step back, but not far. One hand remained on her waist while he reached for her clothes. He helped her into them, never taking his eyes off hers. He did all of it, even tied her shoelaces without ever breaking eye contact. Yet somehow, that was even more intimate than his fingers moving inside her.
Finished, he moved her to the bed and gently sat her down before going to the dresser and pulling out jeans and a sweater for himself. They landed on the bed inches from her, sounding like bombs hitting land.
He began to undress, starting with the buttons on his shirt. With each release, smooth, taut skin was exposed. The V grew larger, deeper the lower he got, until she was staring at the light sparking off the silver buckle of his belt. The metal jingled as the leather tongue was fed through and left open. The button went next. Then the zipper was yanked down with a hiss. The rubber band of his gray boxers peeked into view.
He shrugged out of his shirt and tossed it across the foot of the bed. He chucked his pants off next so he stood before her in nothing but his underwear and a very hard outline leaning just a little to the right. Beth found herself tracing the familiar swell with her eyes, remembering all too well the weight and smooth texture of it resting in her hand as she shimmied down his body to suck the head between her lips. Cole had always liked it best when she started at the top and worked her way gradually to the base in slow bobs. But it was his low groan of her name as he sprayed into the back of her throat that always made her wet.
“He missed you, too, baby.”
Mortified, Beth couldn’t look away fast enough. “I should wait outside.”
Now that her brain was back, she couldn’t get out of the room fast enough. It screamed at her like an enraged mother catching her child doing meth and all she could do was pace and agree with the scolding. What she’d done had been stupid. She should never have let things get that far. What the hell was the matter with her?
Sex depravation, she realized with mock disgust. Who knew it made smart girls really, really stupid?
She was pacing the length of the living room when he emerged, dressed and looking as breathtaking as ever.
“What are you doing, Cole?” she snapped at him, her embarrassment tangling with her anger.
In the process of opening the closet, Cole paused. “Getting our jackets?”
“No.” She stalked towards him. “I mean, what are you doing?”
His eyes narrowed cautiously. “Still getting our jackets.”
“Goddamn it, Cole!” She grabbed the door out of his hands and slammed it shut. She wedged herself between him and the jackets. “What was that back there? What was that over dinner and now? What are you doing?”
He never faltered in his answer. “What I should have done four years ago.”
She was no longer standing guard in front of the door, but using it to keep upright. His proximity had changed. The foot between them had become an inch and she was falling recklessly into the heat of his eyes.
“I’m going to make you love me again.”
It was ludicrous. She should have told him so. She should have told him too much had happened, too many years had gone by and she wasn’t the nineteen year old girl he used to know. Instead, all she could do was stand there and let him coax her heart into believing something her head was convinced was a bad idea.
“It’s cold outside,” he said when she didn’t speak.
She didn’t stop him when he reached for the closet once more and tugged out their coats. She didn’t say a word when he held hers open for her and bundled her up. She was still lost in the tender promise of
his words when he led her from the apartment with a gentle hand against her lower back.
The fading light was a soft shimmering orange in the distance, painting the rooftops a delicate gold. He’d been right, it was cold. The temperature had dropped and she guessed another week before they got snow. The prospect made her want to groan and crawl into the nearest furnace until winter went away.
“Nothing’s changed,” she murmured, peering at the shops with the same window displays as when she’d left.
“Nothing ever does,” he remarked with a slight hint of a laugh. “Willow Creek isn’t very big on changes.”
She remembered that all too well. While the good folks of Willow Creek weren’t hostile towards strangers, they weren’t overly welcoming either. It had taken two years and the approval of Lily, Sloan, and Cole, plus Lily’s parents, to get Beth finally accepted enough so people at least didn’t eye her like she was some strange science experiment on the loose. The way some behaved, people from the city were meant to be feared and avoided, like they were carriers of some deadly disease. Beth hadn’t minded, because she was from the city and had a tougher backbone than that. Nevertheless, acceptance was always a nice thing.
A few people passed them on the sidewalk. The majority of them knew Cole on sight and extended their greetings in a wave or smile, even an inclination of their heads. But when their gazes landed on Beth, there was recognition, surprise, and then confusion before they ducked their heads and scurried away.
“I did not miss that,” Beth realized.
“It’s only been a day,” Cole said. “Like I said, they’re not big on change.”
He stopped in front of Hidden Treasures, the only pawn shop in town. It had always been Beth’s favorite place to stop in during their nightly walks, mostly because nothing ever stayed the same in there. Rail thin Mr. Hobnish changed the window display at least once a week and the store was constantly getting new items and selling old ones. It was such a drastic change from the rest of the town.
The cowbell above the door clunked once when the door was opened and then again when the door was closed behind them. Beth drew her shoulders down from around her ears and peered at the assortment of things taking up the vast majority of the place. The smell of mildew and age clung to the air in a way that reminded her of a museum, or someone’s attic. The scent intensified the deeper they ventured through the catacomb of discarded items.
Behind a glass case imprisoning rings, watches, cameras, and the odd other sparkly bobble, Mr. Hobnish towered over a prehistoric plastic box that had once been considered top of the line in computer equipment. His small face was bunched so all his wrinkles seemed to fold in on themselves like rows of folded towels on a shelf. His uncharacteristically long nose was bunched, probably to keep the thin wired glasses in place as he squinted at the blank screen. Brown eyes rose when they approached and widened. His long mouth curled into a wide smile.
“Bethany,” he said in a manner a grandfather would address a favorite niece. “I was wondering when I would see you. I heard you were back.”
Beth smiled as she reached the counter. “Hello Mr. Hobnish. I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner.”
The old man waved a long hand. “I knew you would get to me eventually.” He faced them completely. “So what brought you back?” His gaze flicked suggestively past her to Cole. “Did he finally come to his senses?”
Beth laughed. “No, I mean, that’s not—”
“Yes, sir, I did,” Cole piped in from over her shoulder.
“Good man,” Mr. Hobnish remarked, straightening the perpetual hunch in his back that came with being over seven feet tall. “There are some women you just don’t let get away.”
Cole bobbed his head with absolute fortitude. “Yes sir.”
Satisfied, Mr. Hobnish returned his focus to Beth. “How have you been?”
Beth shrugged, rolled her eyes. “Same ol’ same ol’. You know me, I never change.”
Mr. Hobnish dragged his stool over and perched. The dim light over the register skated off the patch of skin stretching from brow to mid scalp. It caught on sleek white strands that were slicked back to curl behind his ears and brush his shoulders. His knitted sweater stretched across his back as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the glass.
“Change,” he muttered with a grunt. “Eventually, we all change, even if we don’t realize it.”
Beth didn’t comment. Her gaze darted to the blank computer screen squished on a rickety table behind the counter.
“Is there something wrong with your computer?”
Mr. Hobnish snorted a deep rumbling sound of disgust. “That piece of junk. I’m tired of fiddling with it.”
“What’s wrong with it?” Cole wondered.
The older man rolled a single shoulder. “It goes straight to a blue screen when I boot on. Damn thing is older than I am. Maybe it’s time to just toss it and get a new one. Only problem is that I have years’ worth of business on that blasted thing and no way to get it out.”
Cole rested a gentle hand on Beth’s back, a silent request before he shifted around her to peer at the useless lump of plastic.
“It could be anything. The machine itself is an older model. I can’t be certain without opening it up, but…” He flattened his palms on the glass and leaned over to squint down at the tower. “I might be able to get it going just long enough for you to get your files, Mr. Hobnish.”
Mr. Hobnish straightened. His bushy eyebrows the same titanium white as his hair rose high in surprise and interest. “You know computers?”
Cole laughed, leaning back. “Not really. I mean, I took a few computer classes in college and I know the basics, but I’m no expert.” He pointed at the clunker in the corner. “But I’m pretty sure I can transfer your stuff from there to a backup drive, or another computer.”
Nodding, Mr. Hobnish’s thoughtful gaze went to the clutter taking up his shop. “I don’t have another computer at this time. I would have to order something from the city. Might take a few weeks. Will it be okay until then?”
Cole nodded. “Yeah, just don’t do anything else with it and let me know when you get it in. I’ll drop by after work and have a look at it.”
Mr. Hobnish’s face broke into a wide grin. “Well, boy, you might have just saved me a small fortune sending this piece of garbage out to get seen. What would I owe you?”
The look of bemuse was almost comical on Cole’s face. “Owe?”
“Yeah, for getting my things transferred over, and for hopefully helping me set up the new one when it comes in.”
Startled blue eyes shot from Beth to the man across the counter. “I didn’t think…”
Mr. Hobnish silenced him with a wave of his hand. “You will let me pay you. I insist.”
“Well…” Cole rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “We can talk about that when you get your new computer.”
“Well, that was unexpected,” Beth remarked after they’d waved goodbye to Mr. Hobnish and found themselves continuing down the sidewalk.
Cole’s chuckle was tight. “Yeah.”
“I’m really glad you can help him,” she continued. “It was really nice of you.”
He shrugged. “Don’t thank me yet. Like I said, I only just know the basics. I might not be able to do anything, except set the new one up.”
“I believe in you.” She blushed and quickly looked away when he turned his head and caught her eye. “It was still nice of you to offer.”
The silence that followed strained around them like a comfortable wrap, enveloping them in its peace. Beth watched the lights pop on, flooding the streets with their yellow glow. Most of the town’s people were already home, snuggling down to watch the late news and getting ready for bed. Overhead, the sky was a mess, reminding her of an overzealous child painting with too many colors, creating a gross color of gray.
“I hate winter.” She sighed. “It’s so gloomy and depressing.”
“Not always.” Cole
smiled down at her, all lopsided and cute like she remembered. “The winter festival.”
Memories of their nights spent at the town hall, dancing and laughing as glitter filled the air and fake fog twirled around their feet, brought a happy smile to her mouth. The whole set up was always cheesy with cardboard stars wrapped in tinfoil and country music from the sixties. Georgia May Hadley had been horrified when Beth had suggested a DJ rather than the clunky boom box they were using. But it had still been strangely magical.
“That was one of the things I missed most about Willow Creek.”
“Yeah?” He searched her face. “What else did you miss?”
Rather than let her answer, he twisted around her and grabbed the handle of the door they were passing. He jerked it open to allow a gust of warm, grease scented air to blow over her. Yellow light spilled from the diner onto the dark sidewalk, illuminating her. Beth almost laughed. Instead, she shook her head in amusement and ducked inside.
Ma’s diner held the lingering few who slouched over mugs of coffee or finished up a late supper. Patsy Cline crooned about falling to pieces through the Jukebox. It was muffled by the low screech of fan blades cutting slices through the muggy air.
Beth led the way to the register and the pretty blonde standing on the other side. She smiled at them, then smiled wider when her gray eyes went past Beth to Cole.
“Hey, Cole!”
Cole offered her a slight grin and an inclination of his head. “Dawn. How’s your evening?”
“Great!” she said with a dramatic plunge of her hands on her hips, which simultaneously thrust out her perky breasts. “How’s yours?”
Dawn had never made it a secret she wanted Cole. A lot of girls did, even before Beth had left. Maybe it was because there were so few as good looking, charming, and educated—in Beth’s opinion—but the female population of Willow Creek seemed to always gravitate towards him.
Bye-Bye Baby Page 11
