The sheet fell away from her shoulder as he carried her, and he bent his head to nip at it before setting her back on her feet. In no time flat, he had his shorts off and they were standing under the stream of hot water.
Cole lathered her up with soap, taking his time to clean every inch of her body, then it was her turn. When her hands dropped below his waist, wrapping around his thick erection, she couldn't stop herself from running her fist up and down his length. He groaned and let his head drop back.
Before she knew what she was doing, she had dropped to her knees in front of him and licked him from base to tip. Well, this was new. She'd never wanted to please a man as much as she wanted to please Cole. She wanted him to feel as good as he'd made her feel over and over again through the night.
Taking him into her mouth, she tightened her grasp. He gripped her shoulders and moaned her name. She felt a renewed sense of desire at causing him such pleasure.
Grabbing her by the arms, he lifted her effortlessly and turned her around to where her palms were splayed across the shower wall. He ripped open the condom she'd not seen him bring in and grabbed her by the hips, pulling her toward him and thrusting into her from behind until he was in her so deeply she felt that she would come right then and there. Several furious strokes later, she was going over the edge, and he came right behind her.
Euphoric and exhausted at the same time, she turned to him and placed a soft kiss on his chest, his neck and finally his lips. "I knew this shower would be good for something," she whispered. Then with a laugh, she grabbed a towel and stepped from the shower, leaving him staring after her.
***
Meredith walked into the dance studio just as Katrina was finishing up her yoga class, so she stood quietly at the back of the room until it was over. She couldn't wait to talk to her about her idea. It had been simmering for a couple days and she was eager to see what Katrina thought.
Some of the students greeted her as they packed up and left, and Meredith was pleased to hear some of them say they were attending her ballroom class at the end of the week. They were genuinely excited and it pleased her that they seemed to enjoy her so much. It was very reassuring to know that her passion had a channel and that people were receptive to it.
"Morning," Katrina said as the last of the students left the studio. She had a gleam in her eye. "You look like you've had a good morning. You have a certain glow about you."
Meredith couldn't keep the grin from her face. "You could say that." Even though she hadn't spent much of the night sleeping, she felt surprisingly refreshed. After their somewhat awkward breakfast, things had returned to an even keel between Cole and her.
"Lucky you. I can't say I'm not a little jealous. I haven't had a good romp in quite a while."
"Me neither," Meredith admitted. "It's been pretty fun so far."
"Okay, so I have something to talk to you about too, but you go first."
Meredith grabbed her water bottle from her gym bag and carried it over to sit with Katrina. She hoped she was receptive to the idea.
"I've taken quite a few of the classes since I've been here, and while I've enjoyed them all, I have an idea. One I think you'll like."
Katrina leaned forward eagerly. "Do tell."
"It seems like most of the classes are geared toward fitness, with the exception of the ballroom class. But I've had an excellent response from people who want to take it." Katrina nodded and she continued.
"What if we developed a few more dance classes? They can be fitness based, but with a definite dance angle. I think it would be worth a shot to see what the response would be."
She waited for Katrina to tell her what she thought, and was surprised when she looked down and shook her head. "What? You don't like the idea?"
"No, it's not that. I love the idea. In fact, I've been thinking something along those same lines already. But it's not going to fly."
"What do you mean? Why not?"
"I went to talk to Brandon yesterday and pitched an idea that was similar, but he was pretty adamantly against it."
"Why? Why would he not want to at least try something new out?" She had another thought. "Wait. Did you happen to mention me at all in this conversation?"
Katrina looked at her earnestly and nodded. "I did because I thought if it was something you might be on board with then he'd be more likely to go for it."
Meredith's heart sank. "I think that may be exactly why he won't go for it."
"What do you mean? I don't understand."
"Brandon has it stuck in his head that he knows what's best for me. And if anything interferes with his idea of what that is, he won't even listen."
"Not even to you?"
"Especially not to me."
Katrina frowned, creases marring her forehead. "That doesn't even make sense. You know what's best for you. He should listen to you. I think you should present the idea to him."
"What exactly did you say to him?"
"That I wanted to work with you while you were here to develop some new classes, try out some new formats. That you had knowledge and expertise that could really help the program."
Meredith sighed. That was it right there. How could she explain it so that Katrina would understand? "Have you ever had someone that thought they knew what was the absolute best thing for you? And they were so convinced they were right that they did everything in their power to make sure it happened?"
Katrina raised her eyebrows and shook her head slowly. "I can't say that I have. Is that what he does?"
Meredith nodded. "He has for a very long time. Like this trip here. He wanted to plan every move I made from start to finish. And not with any ill intent, don't get me wrong. He thinks that if he has everything mapped out, lots of activities and things to do, then he'll ensure that I have the very best vacation possible. What he doesn't understand is that what makes me happiest is being able to do what I want to do."
"I honestly can't say I completely understand, Mere. I can tell he wants to look out for you. But how can he be so controlling of your life and have no clue that it makes you miserable?"
Miserable? Is that what she was? She had never thought of it like that before. She just lived her life the way she was supposed to. She may not be happy all the time, but she was content. Wasn't she? As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was starting to think that wasn't true either.
"Do you really think I'm miserable?"
"Maybe that was a bad choice of words. I don't know you as well as he does. Though I do think I've gotten to know you well enough recently to see that who you are here is not the same person that Brandon has depicted you to be. I don't think he has a clue either."
Her words were eerily similar to what Cole had said the day before. How could two people that she had just met see her so clearly when her own brother didn't even seem to know who she really was? It was too complicated. That was why she never let herself think about any of it. She had no idea how to reconcile who she was with what her brother wanted her to be, so she'd just let that part of her die off slowly.
"So what are you going to do?"
"Do?" Was there anything she could do? If so, she wasn't sure what it was, short of telling her brother everything. But that would never happen because she could never disappoint him like that.
"Are you going to present the idea to him? Maybe if it comes from you then he will listen."
"I doubt that." But could she really give up on the idea that she had been so excited about? She could, if it were just her that would be affected. But this time it affected Katrina as well. She wanted to take her program to the next level and this could be a way to make that happen.
"I'll try my best, though," she said with a new resolve. Katrina's smile only confirmed that she was making the right decision. "I'll just have to present it in a way that lets him know it won't mess up his ideal vacation for me." She rolled her eyes.
"You can do it." She clapped her hands together, then dug out a notebook f
rom her bag. "Now let's get some ideas down on paper."
Meredith quickly fell into the thrill of planning new dances and class ideas, and she spent the next two hours working out a combination of choreography and logistics. When they were finished, they were both exhausted but pumped up about where their ideas could go.
"Do you really think he might go for it?" Katrina asked.
"There's only one way to find out." She looked back over the long list of proposed classes and frowned. "Do you really think you can handle this by yourself? This is a pretty heavy load and I don't want you to run yourself down."
Katrina sighed. "I know. I thought the same thing. Another instructor would be ideal, but there's no way Brandon would go for that. We'll be lucky enough if he accepts even a portion of this proposal, but definitely not someone else on the payroll."
The way she said it had Meredith thinking back to several of the things she'd seen and heard during her stay at the resort. Something wasn't adding up. "Katrina, tell me the truth. Is there something I don't know about the resort? Brandon has been working even harder than usual since I've been here, and that's saying something. Cole is filling in because they are short on instructors, and now you say he won't hire anyone for the dance program. What am I missing?"
Katrina pursed her lips and studied Meredith for a moment. "He made me promise not to say a word to you. But I just can't help it. I think you need to know."
This sounded serious. Was the resort not doing as well as Brandon had led her to believe?
"Well now you have to tell me," she said.
Katrina blew out a breath, causing her bangs to flutter. "Just promise you won't tell him I told you." Meredith nodded impatiently while Katrina gathered her thoughts. "Brandon had to fire the assistant manager for misuse of funds not too long ago. By the time they realized what he had done, the books had been so run into the ground that the resort is barely keeping afloat. I overheard Brandon on the phone the other day, and I think they are looking at a potential bankruptcy."
Meredith was shell-shocked. Why had he not told her this? He was working hard, but he'd never let on that anything else was amiss. And now they were on the verge of bankruptcy. "Oh my God, Katrina, this resort means everything to him. He can't lose it."
"It gets worse. The investors were looking really closely at everything after that, even at Brandon. Everyone was suspect, and they considered cleaning house completely and starting over. The only thing that prevented it was the fact that he was a partial owner. And, of course, that he had done nothing wrong, other than not catching it sooner."
Meredith clapped a hand over her mouth. This was unbelievable. Her brother had kept all of this a complete secret from her. And now she had to wonder, did Cole know too? He was working here, to help out a friend, he'd said. It was too much to take in. "I have to talk to him."
"No, you promised!" Katrina looked panicked. "He will be furious if he finds out I told you."
"He won't find that out. But I have to know why he didn't tell me this. And what I can do to help."
***
Cole knocked on Brandon's office door and peeked his head in. He was on a call but waved him in to have a seat and gestured that he was wrapping it up.
He sat down and waited, mulling over the phone call he'd just had. His next assignment was on the table and it was time to decide what he was going to do. Hopefully discussing it with Brandon would give him a little more clarity. He'd always been level headed about these types of things.
Brandon ended the call and leaned back in his chair, looking more exhausted than Cole had seen him in a long time.
"Everything okay?"
"Guess that depends on your definition of okay. We're still trucking along, so I guess so."
"Want to talk about it?"
"Not yet. What's up with you?"
Cole leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees and shook his head. "I just got off the phone with my superior officer."
Brandon lifted his brows. "And?"
"They have a new assignment for me. A different one than I had expected. They offered me a position in California. And a promotion."
"That's great news." He paused at Cole's lack of response. "Isn't it?"
"It should be. I'm just not sure where to go from here. These past few weeks here at the resort have been unbelievable. Getting to be out on the water as much as I have, really throwing myself into the work, it's been a refreshing change."
"You're not happy."
Brandon was perceptive. Even with the handful of brief conversations they'd had about Cole's career he was able to sense that Cole was growing weary of the direction it was headed.
"I've always loved it. Up until the last couple years. I'm moving up the ranks and have a lot of opportunities ahead of me. It's just different than I'd expected."
"How so?"
Cole steepled his fingers against his chin, thinking of the right way to phrase it. "In my earlier years I spent a lot of time out on the water. It was exhilarating, the rush of adrenaline after a rescue. Feeling like I was making a difference. But this last post. It's more bureaucracy and paperwork than I'm interested in. I don't get to be as hands-on with the missions as I'd like." He commanded a great team, but part of what went along with that authority took away what he'd loved about the job to begin with.
Brandon chuckled. "You never have struck me as a paperwork kind of guy."
Not at all. He thrived on being in the thick of things. Overseeing it was great, but not when he wasn't as active as he wanted to be.
"So what does this new job entail?"
"I'd be overseeing a handful of teams. It sounds great, on paper." But when he just wanted to be on the water it wasn't so great.
"What are you going to do?"
"Take it, I guess."
Brandon surveyed him silently and Cole wasn't sure what he was thinking.
"I mean, I've worked this long to get here, right? I'd be crazy to walk away now."
"Can you do that? Walk away, I mean."
"My service term is up in a few months. If I take the new job, I'll be signing on for another three years. So technically, if I'm done I can get out now. But if I stay in, it's going to be for the long haul." As in he'd be a career military man. He'd work his way further up the ranks and further from the water. It looked great from all angles except that one.
"I don't know what to tell you, man. Like I said before, you've got a job here if you want it. That's one area where we could afford some help."
He knew he did. But he still wasn't sure if that was right for him. All he'd ever known was the Coast Guard. Taking a job at a resort seemed like such a leap in the opposite direction. One he wasn't sure he was ready to make.
But he did feel an inexplicable tug to make a change. He'd been restless ever since he'd been at the resort. He'd loved every minute of it, but he'd felt he was at crossroads and wasn't really sure why. As much as he didn't want to admit it, it was in no small part due to Meredith. Her passion for life made him realize there was more out there than one night stands and work.
And it scared the hell out of him.
Enough so that he was considering taking the promotion just to get as far away as possible. Not that he could tell Brandon that. But how could he stay on at the resort when it would be full of memories of her and what she was starting to stir up in him?
Don't go there.
He couldn't even let the thought cross his mind. And just like that, he knew he had to take the job in California.
It was the safe bet.
But a nagging voice in his head asked him when in his life he'd ever taken the safe bet.
"What else is going on with you?" Brandon's words shook him out of his thoughts. "I know I told you to stay away from the guests while you were here, but I didn't expect you to actually listen to me. Unless you've been seducing your students after dark, you're keeping a pretty low profile. That's not like you."
He was closer to the mark than
he realized. What was he supposed to say to that?
Just then Meredith came rushing into the office, her eyes flashing with an odd mix of anger and concern. Speak of the devil.
"We need to talk," she said to Brandon in a tone full of impatience.
"I was just leaving," Cole said, drawing her attention to him as if she'd just noticed he was in the room. What had her so riled up?
"Oh, I'm sorry," she stammered, her eyes locking with his. "I can let you finish up first."
Cole stood, willing his eyes to look away from her. He wanted to know what was wrong, wanted to wrap his arms around her and make her forget whatever had her so upset. And if he didn't get out of there soon Brandon would see it all over his face.
"No, it's fine. I'll catch you later," he said, not sure who his words were directed toward. He passed her at the door, brushing against her shoulder as he walked by and giving her a secret smile once his back was to Brandon.
"Later," Brandon called.
Meredith shut the door behind her and he left the building, heading straight for his boat. He had another hour before his next lesson and he needed to think. Needed to get away from the distraction Meredith caused him so he could clear his head. Because even though he'd just decided that leaving for California was in his best interest, seeing her had him in knots all over again. She was doing a number on him and he hadn't the faintest clue what to do about it.
CHAPTER TEN
Brandon stared at her in surprise. "Do you want to have a seat first?" he asked.
Meredith realized she was leaning over him, her hands planted on his desk. She stepped back but didn't sit. She was too fired up.
"When were you going to tell me?"
He looked at her cautiously, a veil dropping over his eyes. "Tell you what?"
"That you're close to bankruptcy? That you almost lost the resort? That you still could?"
He sighed and stood up, coming around to the side of the desk where she stood with her hands on her hips. "Who told you?"
Rescue Me (Sunset Bay Book 1) Page 11
