Rescue Me (Sunset Bay Book 1)

by Christine Kingsley

  Against his better judgment, he turned for one last glance at the woman in red and stopped in his tracks.

  Her smile had been replaced by a grimace, and her eyebrows were knitted together as she tried to pull away from her dance partner. He wrapped his sleazy hands tighter around her waist, gripping her back with his fingertips and crushing her against him. Cole clenched his fists but held himself in place. He shouldn't get involved.

  The guy leaned down in an attempt to place a sloppy kiss on her lips, but she turned her head and he got a mouthful of hair. Cole grinned, but it vanished half a second later. Dude did not look like he was going to take the hint. The woman placed her palms firmly on his chest and pushed, and the guy's face twisted in anger. Cole couldn't make out his words over the driving bass of the music, but he could take a wild guess what they might be by the looks nearby revelers were giving him.

  When Trust Fund Douche got right up in her face, Cole was pushing forward without realizing it, right into the midst of the crowd. Ignoring her shocked expression, Cole moved smoothly in front of the woman and faced the guy head on.

  "Is there a problem here?" Cole kept his face pleasant enough, but there was a dangerous edge to his voice.

  The guy was obviously drunk but had enough wits about him to know he was no physical match for Cole if it came down to it. He backed up, palms facing outward in front of his chest.

  "No, man. I was just dancing with my girl."

  One glance behind him at the woman's incredulous expression told Cole she was most assuredly not his girl. He smiled cockily. "Is that so? Funny, because she's here with me." He angled his body slightly to lean into her and place a protective hand on her hip. The thin fabric of her dress under his fingertips revealed that she was wearing a thong.

  Cole groaned inwardly. The rush of blood straight to his groin wasn't going to help if he wanted to make an easy escape after dispensing of the drunk jerk. They guy mumbled something and stumbled his way off the dance floor, and the crowd that had started to gather quickly dispersed, returning to the more pressing matter of dancing. When she was certain he was out of sight, the woman pulled away from Cole abruptly.

  Turning to face her fully for the first time, he put on his most charming grin, but it faltered when he looked into the most piercing blue eyes he'd ever seen. He could have gotten lost in them if it weren't for the fact that they were narrowed at him, and not in the sultry gaze he was used to inspiring. Confused, he took in her full lips which were pursed in irritation. She placed a fist on her hip where his had just been and gestured wildly with her other hand.

  "What the hell was that?"

  CHAPTER TWO

  "You're welcome," the man said, flashing a set of straight white teeth at Meredith.

  She couldn't believe this was happening. She'd been doing fine dealing with Yuppie Boy on her own, irritating as he may have been, and along came this guy, like she was some helpless female. She was anything but, even if she did feel a bit out of her element.

  And it had to be this guy. Meredith could still feel the tingles racing across her skin from where his hand had touched her hip. It made her want to grab him and pull him closer to see what else he might be capable of making her feel.

  Down, girl.

  She struggled to focus on why she was mad. No easy task now that he was close enough for her to see just how dark and captivating his eyes were.

  "I had it under control," she said through clenched teeth.

  "Really? From where I was standing it looked like you could use some help." Meredith didn't like the way he arched an eyebrow skeptically.

  "Yes, really. I'm not some sissy girl that can't handle myself."

  "I see that. You seem to handle yourself very well."

  She wasn't sure what he meant by that, but the way his gaze trailed down her body and back up had her momentarily not caring. She swallowed hard. This guy was dangerous. How had he known that Yuppie Boy was getting out of hand? Had he been watching her? The idea of it made her smile in spite of her resolve to remain angry. He was even more delectable up close, and with the crowd pressing in around them he towered over her, invading her space. Inhaling sharply as he leaned down to speak into her ear, she caught a hint of his spicy masculine scent, her eyes fluttering shut as his breath caressed her neck.

  "How about a drink?"

  Meredith nodded wordlessly, trying to get her wits back. This guy. He had some crazy effect on her, making her feel off balance. Placing his hand on the small of her back he guided her through the crowd. His confident touch assured Meredith that those large hands would be very skilled when put to other uses.

  "I'm Cole," he said, leaning down again to speak over the music.

  "Meredith," she replied, angling her head toward him to be heard. She didn't miss the way his eyes lingered on her exposed neck. When his gaze came back to hers, her pulse kicked at the wicked heat she found there.

  Oh, yes. He was very dangerous.

  She watched him as he ordered, his hand remaining on her the whole time. He was exactly what she'd hoped to find when coming to the dance club. Someone sexy to spend the evening with. To dance and flirt with. She should feel triumphant that she'd found him, but her unexpectedly intense reaction had her on edge. She wanted to stay in control, but Cole seemed like the kind of guy who would take charge of a situation. To get what he wanted. A confused rush of fear and excitement coursed through her. It would be safer to thank him and leave.

  But when he turned his attention back to her she knew there was no way she was leaving. He handed her a lemon drop and she looked at him in surprise.

  "That's what you're drinking, right?"

  "Yes." He'd been paying attention. Was he as attracted to her as she was to him? It had been so long since she'd had any type of innocent flirtation with a guy that she'd forgotten how nice it was to be a man's only focus. Yet Meredith was fairly certain there was nothing innocent about this particular man. A ball of nerves bunched in her stomach, and she sipped her drink. She would just have to be careful.

  "What were you doing with that guy?" Cole's question startled her. He studied her carefully as she answered.

  "I was looking for someone to dance with, and it seemed like a good idea at the time." She shrugged.

  "You like dancing?"

  Meredith smiled, warming up at the turn in the conversation. People rarely asked her about the thing she loved most in the world. "It's my passion," she said, unsure why she was revealing this to a virtual stranger. "But it's been a long time since I've had the chance."

  If he wondered why he didn't ask. "Maybe we should remedy that with someone who knows what he's doing?" His eyes were intense, sucking her in again. She didn't stand a chance of resisting.

  Acting braver than she felt, she drained her drink, the thought that she better take it easy registering somewhere in the back of her brain. Surely one more couldn't hurt. "Why not?"

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her back onto the dance floor. She admired the view from behind as she followed him. He was strong. His shoulders were broad and his muscles rippled effortlessly as he moved as lithely as a tiger. He gripped her hand tighter as they squeezed through the crowd.

  Finding a spot in the midst of the swaying bodies, he pulled her around and they were face to face, pressed together in the tight quarters. She brought her hands up to put a barrier between them or they would have been entirely too close. She tried to ignore the flutter in her stomach as her fingers grazed his stomach. The rock hard abs she found there were no surprise.

  Then she was moving to the music, letting it fill her body and soul, and her hesitations dissipated. She fell into the old familiar zone where she was one with the music and nothing else mattered except the dance. She closed her eyes and moved her hips to the beat, enjoying the feeling of letting go. When she opened them again, she found Cole staring at her, something simmering just beneath the surface. She smiled at him, more relaxed than she'd been all night. He lifted one corn
er of his mouth in response, then took her arms and spun her around so he was behind her.

  Meredith laughed and fell into an easy rhythm with him. He was good. Thank God. It was rare for her to find a dance partner that could keep up with her and she loved it.

  Lifting her arms above her head she moved closer to him, still holding his hands. He slowly trailed his fingertips down her bare arms, sending a delicious chill through her and causing gooseflesh to follow in its wake. His hands continued down her sides to her hips and he gripped her tightly. She let her arms drop back, her fingers lightly grazing his neck.

  The music changed and slowed, and Cole pulled her even more tightly against him and bent his head to her ear again. "You're amazing," he breathed.

  Meredith leaned back against his chest and let out a low laugh. "You haven't seen anything yet."

  Spinning in his arms, she ran her hands up his chest and pressed her hips into his. His hands clenched where they rested on her and she let her head fall back, reveling in the feel of forgetting everything else but the moment. Her eyes snapped open when she felt his warm breath again, his lips dangerously close to her neck. Trailing a knuckle from her jaw all the way down to her shoulder and back up, his eyes bore into hers. When he brushed a thumb over her lips, her tongue darted out to wet them in response.

  Whoa.

  What started out as flirting and dancing had just taken on an entirely different tone. Time to walk away. She tried to remember it was just a fun night out, but dancing had a way of making her let go of any rational thoughts. She felt light and heady and didn't want to stop. Against her better judgment, she couldn't make herself walk away from this man.

  So instead she wound her arms around his neck again and let him pull her tighter against him.

  ***

  Damn.

  This woman was going to be the death of him. Cole barely resisted crushing his mouth down over hers. The way her body moved was like some primal mating ritual. She was made for sex, and he had no doubt it would be mind-blowing.

  He knew he shouldn't let this continue. He was going against everything he'd vowed not to do, but he couldn't seem to make himself stop. When she ground her hips against his again, he knew there was no disguising what she was doing to him. She lifted sultry eyes to his and he groaned.

  "You're making me want to do much more than dance with you, baby," he murmured so only she could hear. Her eyes widened slightly and Cole was shocked to realize she didn't see how unbelievably sexy she was. She wasn't like the women that typically threw themselves at him.

  It made him want her even more.

  Which was exactly why he should stop. Put some distance between them. Instead, he found himself asking, "You want to go outside?"

  He could almost see the wheels turning in her head as she debated whether or not it was a good idea. When she nodded, instead of feeling his usual triumph at getting a woman to leave with him, he just felt relieved. He was half afraid she was going to run in the other direction.

  Crushing her to his side, he guided her through the open beach entrance and out onto the sand.

  ***

  Meredith couldn't believe she was following this guy outside. She didn't even know him. She must be crazy. But that was what she wanted, right? To be a little wild and crazy on vacation. To stop being so uptight and live her life while she was still young.

  Stop over-thinking!

  She always seemed to do that these days. What happened to the carefree girl who went wherever the wind blew her? Obligation.

  Well, she could leave that behind. For one night anyway. The prospect of a night with this man had her smiling. She'd had a few drinks, so she wasn't sure how much that was influencing her, but since she'd determined to stop thinking so much she pushed the question aside.

  "What is it?" he asked when she stopped as they reached the sand.

  "My shoes. They aren't exactly made for strolling along the beach."

  Cole bent down and made quick work of unbuckling the strappy red heels, grinning up at her as his hand remained on her calves longer than necessary. "This better?" His eyes lingered on the length of leg exposed by her short dress before he stood up. Feeling empowered, she gave him a saucy look and plucked the shoes from his hand, walking toward the shoreline and leaving him to follow after her.

  He caught up to her and kicked his own shoes off and joined her where the surf met the sand. They walked in silence for a few moments with the water lapping at their ankles.

  "So," Cole began, "are you here alone, or did you come with friends?"

  "Just me." She noticed his surprise and figured it wasn't that common for a woman to visit a resort all alone, but she didn't feel like getting into a discussion about her brother so she left it at that.

  "Interesting." He observed her for a moment. "Me too."

  "Well, that makes things convenient."

  "Things?" He arched a brow at her, and she merely smiled, her face full of suggestion. She couldn't believe she was being so forward, but she was enjoying herself for a change. The heat in his eyes burned through her and she felt a rush of anticipation. Her earlier fears were gone in a flash and she felt an urge to just be crazy for one night and see where things led.

  They continued to walk down the beach until the noise from the club faded to a distant hum and the crash of the waves was the loudest sound. They were still on the resort property, but at the edge where only a few of the larger and more expensive villas were located. It was noticeably more private.

  Meredith stopped and turned to him, tossing her shoes away into the sand.

  "Meredith, I don't—“

  She placed a finger on his mouth and shook her head. She didn't know what he was going to say and she tried to ignore his hesitation because she wasn't sure how long her courage would last. She felt free, her rushing pulse pounding in her ears. Slowly pulling her finger from his lip, she stretched up on her toes to whisper in his ear. Even then she had to reach behind his neck to draw his head down to her height. She pressed her body against his. "I don't either. But just for tonight, I am."

  She whipped around and ran out into the surf, laughing at his the surprise on his face. She felt a little unsteady but figured it was just the uneven sand beneath her feet. Crooking a finger at him, she turned toward the shore and waited to see what he would do.

  She was pleased when he ambled toward her with a gleam in his eye, reminding her of a wild animal. The image sent a hot thrill straight to her core.

  He stopped a yard from her and pinned her with an intense look. She had made her way a little deeper into the waves, and at knee height now the water splashed up around her thighs. She took a step toward him, intending to close the distance, when a stronger wave suddenly surged behind her, knocking her off balance.

  Cole rushed to catch her, but it was too late. She reached out for him to steady herself, but the sand was unstable and they both went toppling into the water, arms and legs tangling together. Sputtering, she pushed herself to her knees, Cole surfacing in front of her. Laughter erupted from both of them as they found themselves drenched, waves crashing all around them.

  Just as another wave threatened to take her under again, Cole scooped her up effortlessly and walked the short distance to the shore. His body was hot against her cold, wet dress, and she immediately missed the loss of contact when he sat her down gently. Lowering himself next to her, he turned sideways and propped himself up on his elbow. They were soaking wet and sand was sticking to their bodies, but Meredith didn't care. All she wanted was to stay right where she was.

  "That was kind of fun," she admitted.

  He wrapped his fingers around her wrist, pulling her in closer. "You're incredible. Beautiful. Alive," he said softly, his eyes never leaving her face.

  Suddenly Meredith's breath was ragged again, her heart pounding so hard she was certain Cole could feel her erratic pulse where he maintained his grip on her wrist. She didn't know what to say to that, so she just stared into h
is face, waiting.

  "I knew there was something different about you when I first saw you tonight, but now I know what it is. You don't wait around letting life pass you by. You grab it with both hands and make the most of it."

  Meredith melted. This was too much. Here she was lying on the beach next to the most gorgeous man she'd ever met while he spouted off words that had her going to pieces. He didn't even know her, but he saw straight through her carefully constructed facade right to who she really was. And liked what he saw. She must be dreaming.

  But the heat of his breath as he sat up and leaned in close gave her body a jolt that proved she was indeed awake. Cole reached for her, wrapping one arm around her waist and the other behind her neck, and lowered her slowly to the sand until she was looking up as he hovered over her.

  Time stood still and all she heard was the crash of the waves and the beating of her heart as he traced a finger over her mouth, down her neck and across her shoulder before he bent his and touched his lips to hers.

  Her response was immediate. Though he began gently, she met him with a hunger she had never experienced, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders and pulling him in closer. She parted her lips and he dipped his tongue inside as they melded together. When had a kiss ever felt this divine?

  Her need rose as their kisses intensified, then Cole was on top of her, one thigh pushed between her legs. But Meredith wanted more. She pulled him closer still, entwining her legs with his, and felt with satisfaction that he wanted her too, as evidenced by his rock-hard erection pressing against her. The knowledge set her nerves on fire, and every point of contact between them had her body raging.

  Cole trailed hot kisses down her neck while his hands rubbed the length of her sides, grazing her breasts and traveling down her waist to hips bare from where her dress had bunched up. She arched into him as his head dipped lower, teasing the tops of her breasts that were exposed by her low neckline and making her nipples tighten in anticipation.