She was surprised to find that she did. It was nice to be able to talk to someone who wasn't going to judge her. Someone that was temporary and whose questions wouldn't follow her back to her real life.
"After my parents died, Brandon took full responsibility for me. It was the summer after I graduated high school, so I'd already been accepted to a good school. One with lots of options, but particularly for me, a stellar dance department. I didn't know what I wanted to do, but I knew dance had to be a part of my life."
He let her continue without comment. "The problem with that was that I didn't know what kind of future it would hold. Unpredictable for sure, which has never really been an issue for me. But Brandon had always set the bar so high. He'd always been at the top of his class, and our parents were so proud of him and what they knew he would accomplish. I had always been a wild card. And while they were proud of me, I knew they worried that I would never settle down and find my niche."
"You were still a kid."
"I know. But when you have a sibling that's a shining star, you kind of start to feel like you need to step up your game. So anyway, after they died I think Brandon was overwhelmed with the idea of looking after me. He felt responsible for me. And I wanted him to be proud. I needed to prove to him, and I guess to myself, that just because I'd always been a bit of a flake, I could be successful too. I owed it to him and to my parents."
"So you stopped dancing?"
"Mostly. I still took classes in college, but I found what I thought would be a stable career path and took it." She sat quietly for a moment, reflecting on how hard she had worked to earn her brother's approval. How much she had sacrificed.
"But you're not happy. Doesn't that count for something?"
"I don't think so. At least I didn't before coming here. Now I'm not so sure. I've had more fun dancing this past week than I've had in years."
"So tell him. He's not some overbearing jerk. He loves you."
"I know he does, but I still have such big shoes to fill. I don't want to disappoint him."
"Don't you think he'd just want you to be happy?"
She'd never really thought of it that way. Of course her brother loved her and wanted her to be happy. But he also worried too much about her. "I think he'd rather know that I can take care of myself and be successful in my own right. It's too much pressure on him to have to worry about me all the time."
Cole didn't look convinced. "I don't think he looks at it like that. Of course he worries about you. But I'd venture to say he's going to worry about you no matter what you do. That's just him. I mean, look at it this way. You've done more than an outstanding job of proving that you can take care of yourself and be successful, but he's still just as overprotective as it sounds like he's ever been."
Cole was right, she realized. Brandon still didn't seem to accept that she could do just fine on her own. But it was too late. She'd made her choices and this was her life. She would have to be content with this brief respite at the resort.
She stood, reaching her hand out to Cole. "I think that this conversation has gone on far too long. We have a beautiful afternoon and a wide-open ocean in front of us. Let's see where it takes us."
***
Meredith entered the dance studio, feeling refreshed after a shower and change of clothes. She and Cole had sailed all afternoon then fallen back into bed one more time before bringing the boat back to the marina.
They had decided to work on the dance class a little more now that she wasn't fighting to keep her distance. She arrived earlier than they'd planned because she had an idea for a dance class she wanted to work on. Just the beginnings of an idea, but it was exciting.
"Hey, lady," Katrina called out to her from where she was stretching on the floor.
"Hey, I thought you'd be gone. I'm sorry. Am I interrupting?"
"Girl, please." She shook her head, red hair flying out from her bun. "Come warm up with me. I just finished the last yoga class of the day. What are you up to?"
"I'm meeting Cole here in a bit to work on our dance," she said, not meeting Katrina's eyes as she lowered herself onto the mat next to her and began her stretching routine.
She clapped her hands and laughed. "I knew it."
Meredith turned sharply toward her. "Knew what?"
"You and Cole had sex."
"What?" she sputtered. "How could you know that?"
"So it's true," she exclaimed, pointing a finger at Meredith.
"Guilty as charged." She tried to look embarrassed, but couldn't keep the satisfied smile from spreading across her lips. "We're having a secret fling."
A frown settled on Katrina's face, but she didn't say anything.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Meredith moved into center splits and reached up and over toward her right leg.
Katrina stopped her stretches and pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them as she regarded Meredith. "I just don't take you for a fling kind of girl."
"I'm not," she admitted. "Or at least I never have been. But it's that or nothing. And after today I definitely won't settle for nothing."
Katrina giggled, but her eyes were still serious. "Just be careful. I kind of like you and I don't want you to get hurt."
"Thanks, but I'll be fine." She appreciated Katrina's concern but didn't think it was necessary. Still, it was nice to have a girlfriend to confide in. That was yet another thing she'd missed in the past few years. She and her coworkers had never quite clicked, and seeing how all she did was work, they comprised the bulk of her friends. But she felt a connection with Katrina. Maybe it was the shared passion for dance that made them kindred spirits. She lifted up from her stretch and repeated it on the other side.
"If you say so. Well, tell me all the details then. It looked as if you were about to catch the room on fire the other day, things were so hot in here."
"Details?" Meredith squealed. "I don't know about that. But let's just say after three rounds, and multiple orgasms, I am one happy girl."
Katrina's eyes were as round as saucers. "Damn. I knew he looked like a pure sex god, but—"
"Talking about me?"
Meredith and Katrina whipped their heads around to find Cole standing in the door, leaning against the frame as if he owned the place. Even after an afternoon of seeing every inch of his naked body, which was indeed divine, the sight of him still caused her pulse to kick into overdrive.
Katrina pressed a palm to her mouth and burst into a fit of laughter. Meredith's face flamed. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough," he replied with the cocky grin that she both loved and hated.
Ignoring him as he waltzed over to where they sat, she completed her stretches by leaning forward, pressing her chest as close to the floor as possible, knowing full well the view she was giving him of her backside. Let his imagination go where it wanted, but she intended to show him just how a dancer's flexibility could benefit him.
Clearing his throat, he addressed Katrina. "You going to be here long?"
"Very subtle. But no, I was just finishing up."
Meredith remembered what she had wanted to talk to her about before the subject of Cole had come up, but it wasn't the right time. "Let's meet here in the morning. I have an idea I want to run by you."
"Make sure it's late morning," Cole interjected.
Katrina laughed again and rose to collect her things. "I'm free at ten, after yoga." And she was gone.
"Hey, you," Cole said dropping to the floor in front of her, his eyes focusing on her chest as she continued to lean forward in her stretch.
She lifted up slowly, the movement somehow sensual as his eyes trailed down to where her legs were still splayed in center splits. Her mouth went dry, but she managed to croak out a greeting.
She licked her lips, watching as his eyes lifted to her mouth. "So why exactly might it need to be late morning?"
"I thought you might want to come by for room service later. And if you happen to stay longe
r and get very little sleep, I thought you'd appreciate the chance to sleep in."
Oh. Yes, please. This fling thing was going to work out quite nicely.
"Let's dance," she said.
They took their places and started the music. The air was different this time. Instead of pent-up desire fueling them, they were able to use their newly explored awareness to push them forward. Meredith let go and let the music fill her body, mind, and soul, and she threw herself into the dance with abandon.
When he pulled her against his chest this time, her eyes never left his and the animal heat she saw there brought her even deeper into her fantasy world. It was just the two of them in the room, expressing every physical desire and letting it consume them. She never knew dancing could be like that.
Cole wrapped his arms around her waist and she rolled back until she could see the room upside down. It had to be her favorite part of the dance. As she rose slowly, arching her neck, he breathed warm air onto her skin, creating a trail of goosebumps in its path.
By the time the song was over she was ready to take him back to his room without wasting another second, but she knew they needed to make use of their time in the studio. She'd have to learn how to curb these insane all-consuming desires if she was going to function outside of the bed for the next week. If it were up to her, they would crawl under the sheets and not emerge for days.
An hour later, dripping with sweat, they called it a day.
"I think I need another shower," she said, out of breath.
Cole pulled out his wallet and handed her a key card. "Here. I have to run by the front desk for my schedule tomorrow, but go ahead to my room. You can shower there. I won't be long."
She was about to object that she could just use her own shower, plus she needed new clothes, but he drew her against him and the words died in her throat as he kissed her hungrily, his mouth full of promise about what the evening would hold. She may not need the clothes after all. "Maybe I'll wait for you to join me in the shower," she said once he finally released her mouth from where he held it captive.
He winked at her then headed out the door.
She waited a moment longer to gather her wits. That man had the ability to make her lose her mind. Gathering her things in her dance bag, she made a beeline for his villa.
***
Cole caught himself whistling as he walked through the tropical path to the main building. Even though he had been hesitant about getting involved with Meredith, and their agreement had a finite date on it, he was enjoying himself. It was a nice change to really get to take his time to find all the ways to make a woman come apart under his touch.
He opened the door to the office and walked toward the activities desk, but stopped when he heard voices coming from behind a cracked door. It sounded like Brandon and Katrina. Knowing he should keep going, he couldn't stop himself from listening for a moment. Just to be sure. Even though they were both adults and had mutually agreed to their arrangement, Meredith and Cole both knew it was wise to keep it under wraps from Brandon. He would just get bent out of shape. He treated Meredith like a child and Cole saw that now.
Glancing around to make sure no one else was in the office, he stepped closer to the door and listened.
"I'm sorry, Katrina, I just can't agree to that. It's not meant to be." Brandon's voice had an edge to it.
"Just give me a chance to prove it to you. It's a great idea. It could only bring good things in the future." She sounded angry but determined.
"No. That's my final answer. And please don't bring this up again."
Cole moved away quickly and continued on to the activities desk where his schedule was posted. What were they talking about? It hadn't sounded like it had anything to do with him or Meredith, but he couldn't be sure. They had definitely been arguing.
He snapped a picture of his schedule with his phone and was just turning to leave when the office door opened and Katrina came out, looking more upset than he'd ever seen her. She stopped in her tracks when she saw him and he grew suspicious. Giving him a small smile, she started to head out in front of him, but he placed a hand on her arm and she turned to him cautiously.
"Yes?" She lifted her brows and made a point of looking at the clock on the wall as if to indicate she was in a hurry.
"Look, I don't know what all Meredith told you earlier," he said, keeping his voice low. "But we don't want anyone else to know about it." He tilted his head pointedly toward Brandon's office.
Katrina had the nerve to look offended. "You don't have to tell me that. Meredith is my friend and I would never go behind her back about something." But the guilt in her eyes made him not so sure.
"Then what were you just talking about?"
"It's really none of your business." That much was true, so long as it didn't involve him. Or Meredith.
"Just tell me I can trust you to keep this under wraps."
Katrina nodded, apparently relieved that he was dropping it. "Absolutely. My lips are sealed." She drew her thumb and finger together and swiped them across her lips.
"Thanks," he said, holding the door for her so she could leave. She walked off without another word.
Strange. But he didn't have time to worry about it. He had a hot little dancer back in his shower, and he didn't intend to keep her waiting.
CHAPTER NINE
The shower proved to be one of many parts of the suite they explored. When Cole had arrived back in his room, he'd found Meredith draped across his bed in nothing but the red shoes she'd left behind that first night. They hadn't made it to the shower then, but after exploring the possibilities of the bed, sofa, and balcony after dark, they'd done so in the shower as well. It seemed as if neither of them could get enough of each other.
Since when had he had such an insatiable appetite for a woman? He couldn't remember, but as long as she was as hungry for him as he was for her, he intended to feed his desires. And they did, right up until dropping exhausted into bed well past midnight.
He'd woken up with the sun, as his body had been in the habit of doing ever since his early mornings with his father on their boat. After making a quiet call for room service, he went out onto the balcony and breathed in the early morning air and was surprised to hear the door slide open behind him moments later.
Wrapped in a sheet, Meredith sidled up to him. "You're up early."
"I ordered breakfast if you're hungry."
The look in her eyes was unreadable, but as soon as she smiled it was gone and he wondered if he'd imagined it. "That sounds good."
"Do you want something to wear or are you fine in the sheet? I have to admit, I kind of like it."
Meredith laughed and his heart tugged at the sound. Whoa. What was that? He didn't like how much he wanted to make her laugh. To just make her happy in general.
Thankfully the knock at the door indicating room service had arrived was just the distraction he needed.
***
Meredith made herself comfortable on the overstuffed outdoor sofa and pulled the coffee table closer so they could spread the breakfast out in front of them while they relaxed.
She felt a giddy pleasure that he had ordered breakfast for them. It was such an ordinary act, but somehow eating together the morning after a night of wild sex held a certain intimacy.
As soon as she thought it she regretted it. Intimacy was not in the plan. She couldn't let it be in the plan. She'd tried to ignore Katrina's gentle warning the previous afternoon, but it suddenly reared its ugly head. This was exactly why she needed to be careful. It would be all too easy to let herself fall completely into the fantasy of what it would be like if she didn't have to go back to her real life. And that wasn't an option.
She'd just be more careful with her thoughts. As long as she remembered exactly what this was, she'd be fine.
But her resolve went out the window as soon as Cole returned with a tray covered with all types of delectable pastries, fruit, juices, and coffee. He sat it on the table and
began to spread it out for them, then sat beside her.
"It looks delicious. I don't know where to start."
"Here. Try this one. It's my favorite." He lifted what looked like a tiny donut covered in chocolate and powdered sugar up to her lips, and she took a bite. She closed her eyes and moaned it was so good. When she opened them and looked back at Cole, he was watching her with a whole different type of hunger.
"Watch it or we'll end up back in the bed before you've had a chance to taste the rest of this."
Meredith licked the sugar from her lips. "Is that a promise?"
"You're going to kill me, you know that?" He groaned as he poured them each a cup of coffee. Meredith watched as he filled a small plate for her, then handed it to her along with her coffee.
For a guy that was well-versed in one-night stands, he sure knew how to treat a woman. When she said as much, he stopped with his coffee mug halfway to his mouth.
"I'm sorry," she said in a rush. "That's not a very fling-like thing to say is it? It won't happen again. I don't want you to worry that I'm going to break the rules or anything. I know what we're doing here."
He blinked, and then took a long drink of his coffee. She knew she was blabbering again, but she didn't seem to know how to stop.
"It's okay," he said finally. "And you didn't say anything wrong. It just took me by surprise." He gave her what she was sure he thought was a reassuring smile, but she saw the unease behind it.
No matter what he said, she was certain she had said something wrong because they continued their breakfast hardly speaking, breaking the uncomfortable silence only with small pleasantries and comments about the day ahead.
She wished she could take it back, but it was too late now. All she could do was make sure to keep her head on straight in the future and not start talking or thinking about fanciful intimacies. Because as much as she was realizing she wanted to know everything about him, she knew it was never going to happen.
They finished eating and he took her mug from her hands then swept her up in his arms, the sudden change taking her by surprise. "Let's go check out that shower again."
Rescue Me (Sunset Bay Book 1) Page 10
