Rip Current

by Jill Sanders

  “Where’s Roman?” Cassey asked, looking around.

  Cole jumped in. “He had some business in Atlanta. Said he’d be gone for a few weeks.”

  Cassey frowned. “Why didn’t he tell us?”

  Wendy saw Cole shrug his shoulders and walk towards her. When he flopped his arm around her shoulders, much like his brother was doing to his fiancée, she glared at him until he dropped his arm and smiled at her.

  “I didn’t ask. Besides, he’s a big boy and now I’ve got the place all to myself for a while.” He threw his arm over her shoulders again. She tried to control the excitement that rushed through her as he started to play with the ends of her hair.

  “I should give him a call…” Cassey reached for her phone, only to have her husband tug on her arm. “He’ll call if he needs us. Let’s eat. I’m starved.”

  “Yeah, Cass, your man worked up an appetite.” Cole smiled brightly and started walking her towards the back booth that they always inhabited. Cassey hit Cole’s shoulder playfully as they walked towards the back.

  The fact that Cole’s arm was still around her shoulders made her feel a little antsy. And it only heightened her anxiety when he sat next to her, especially when his thigh rubbed up against hers.

  “I’m glad you came back,” he whispered next to her ear. His hand went to her thigh and she felt a shiver run straight from that point to the apex in her legs.

  Damn. The man had too much power over her body.

  She shifted a little, trying to slide farther away from him, but only ended up pushing herself against the wall with him next to her. He chuckled a little at her move, so she glared at him.

  “You’re squishing me,” she said under her breath.

  “Me?” He looked at her innocently. She wasn’t buying it. “You’re the one trying to become wallpaper.” He smiled and threw his arm over her shoulders and began playing with her hair again.

  “I thought you were going to visit your sister this weekend?” Shelly broke in.

  “It was called off due to Willow’s new beau crashing the party.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I know how much you were looking forward to the break.”

  She nodded, not trusting her voice since Cole’s hand was still on her thigh.

  “Problems at work? Or is it more on a personal level?” Cole asked, glancing towards the bar.

  She glared at him and shoved her elbow into his ribs. “Neither.”

  He frowned and she felt him stiffen a little beside her. The conversation turned towards the house Marcus and Shelly were remodeling. Marcus knew how to make any story funny and by the time their food arrived, everyone around the table was laughing hard.

  “So, that’s the last night I’ll believe him when he says his workers won’t be there in the morning and the last time I’ll sleep au naturel. At least until his buddies are done working on our place,” Shelly broke in with a smile.

  “What about you?” Cole whispered towards her.

  “What about me?” She glanced at him, her smile faltering a little as she shoved a grilled shrimp in her mouth.

  He leaned closer and his smile grew. “Have any special sleeping habits you’d like to pass on?”

  She held back a chuckle. “Yeah.” She leaned a little closer and whispered right next to his ear. “I snore.” Then she sat up and popped another shrimp into her mouth and tried to ignore his sexy laugh.

  Chapter Two

  Cole tried everything in his power, short of begging, to persuade Wendy to let him walk her home. The two shots of whiskey earlier had given him just enough courage to actually flirt with her, something he’d never allowed himself to do before.

  Since women usually fell at his feet, most people assumed that he was a smooth talker around the opposite sex. Not true. Actually, Marcus was the smooth one. Roman had the dashing good looks. Cole was just… well, Cole. He’d always felt awkward around women. Maybe that’s why he tended to date whoever showed the most interest, or whomever he picked from the line of ladies that followed him around.

  He glanced over at Wendy, who was walking next to him in silence. He found it especially hard to be around her. He always felt tongue-tied. Even now, as they walked the few blocks to her condo, he couldn’t think of anything to say to her.

  It had been almost a week since they’d argued about his reckless ways, and he’d been desperate to see her since then. After their fight, he’d followed her from her place at the bar to the refrigerator where she was getting a fresh supply of limes. When she’d turned back around to yell at him, he’d bumped into her and had swooped in without thinking and kissed her. Hard and fast.

  He’d been so shocked by his actions that he’d made a quick retreat without saying anything more. Since then, he’d been avoiding her. Until tonight. Maybe it was the Jameson? Who was he kidding; the two shots had worn off hours ago.

  Sighing, he decided to blurt out the first thing that came to mind. “I didn’t know you had a sister.”

  She glanced at him and slowed her steps a little. “Willow is my half-sister. Almost eight years younger.” She sighed and shoved her hands into her pockets. “I’d kind of hoped that this weekend would be a bonding experience.” She glanced off towards the water. It was too dark to see the surf, but they could hear the low waves lapping at the sugar sand. “My father left us to fend for ourselves, even when he was around, but when he left for good…” She stopped and sighed, then walked over to the railing near the steps that led down to the beach. “Want to head down for a while?” She nodded towards the water.

  He shrugged his shoulders. “You’re not in a hurry to get home?”

  She chuckled. “I’m used to late hours. Actually, for me it’s the middle of my work shift.”

  He smiled and then held out his arm for her to take. She glanced at it, then shrugged a little and wrapped her arm through his.

  “This is nice,” she said as they slipped off their sandals and left them by the steps.

  He glanced at her in question.

  “Us, not at each other’s throats for a change.”

  He chuckled. “I could always do something stupid to piss you off.”

  She smiled and shook her head. “You do have a knack for being quite audacious.”

  “And you have a knack for always trying to set me straight.” He took her hand and started walking towards the surf. “Why do you suppose that is?”

  He felt her tense, but the closer they got to the water, the more she relaxed. Her hand felt good in his. So good… perfect, actually.

  “I guess I can see a lot of my father in you.”

  “Oh? Does he surf or model men’s underwear?” He smiled.

  She chuckled and shook her head no. “He’s a biker.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “Like Lance Armstrong stuff?”

  She laughed and he enjoyed the sexy sound coming from her lips. “No, like in Hell’s Angels.”

  “Oh.” He smiled. “There’s nothing wrong with riding a hog. I’ve got one…” He frowned when he remembered his bike was sitting at a wreck yard somewhere because of his accident.

  “Yeah.” She frowned over at him, dropped his hand, and stepped back. “I remember.”

  He shook his head. “It could have been worse. Besides, it wasn’t my fault.” He turned towards her and took her shoulders in his hands, pulling her closer to him. Again, he felt her tense.

  “So you’ve said.” She sighed. “I don’t want to start an argument.”

  He smiled. “Good, then don’t.” He leaned a little closer to her.

  “Cole.” She shook her head. “I can’t… I don’t want…”

  He didn’t let her get any further. He’d been holding back his feelings for her for too long, and he didn’t give a damn any longer if she had anything going with the muscle-bound bartender or not.

  When their lips touched, he couldn’t stop the sigh from escaping. It was nothing like their first kiss.

  Last time, the kiss had been fueled by anger
. Now there wasn’t anything between them except the desire he felt running through his entire body.

  He pulled her closer and felt her shiver next to him. Her hands went up to his shoulders, and he felt a quick tug of exhilaration rush through him. His hands traveled over her body, enjoying her soft hips as he settled on the place that had driven him nuts for years—her sweet little arse.

  “You feel so good,” he moaned next to her heated skin.

  She sighed as he ran his mouth down her neck and reached the top of her silk shirt. He wanted to tug the soft material off her in one quick motion, but knew this wasn’t the time or place for it.

  Instead, he pulled her down to the soft sand and lay beside her. He ran his hands over her body slowly as he kissed her until he felt her breath hitch.

  “Cole?” She sighed. “This really isn’t a good idea.”

  “Sure it is.” He smiled as he reached up to brush a strand of her long blonde hair away from her face. “Every now and then it’s okay to do something reckless.”

  She shook her head and sighed, then pushed on his shoulders until he leaned back. She sat up a little. “I can’t afford to be reckless.”

  He leaned back on his elbows in the warm sand and looked at her. The light from the boardwalk was shining behind her head, making her blonde hair look illuminated.

  She tucked her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them tightly.

  “Why not?”

  She closed her eyes. “I promised myself I wouldn’t turn out like my dad. I need stability. I need to know what tomorrow is going to hold.”

  He chuckled. “Pretty boring if you ask me.”

  Her eyes flew open and she looked down at him. “And that’s why this isn’t a good idea.”

  She rested her chin on her knees and looked off to where the moon was resting over the water.

  “I’m a pretty stable guy—” he started to say, but her burst of laughter stopped him.

  ***

  Wendy glanced over at Cole and stopped laughing when she saw the face he was making. “Really?” She dropped her arms from her knees and looked at him more closely. “You’re the most unstable person I know.”

  He was silent for a while and she wondered if she’d crossed the line.

  “Your dad must have hurt you real bad.” He reached over and ran a finger up her thigh. She felt the heat from him zip up her leg.

  She tried to act casual about it and shrugged. “He wasn’t really around a lot. Actually, no one was around a lot when I was younger.”

  “What about your sister?”

  She looked at him, then down at his hand as it played over her knee. The fact that she was wearing shorts, giving him access to her skin, didn’t go unnoticed by either of them. She’d lost track of what he’d asked her. Her mind refused to think about anything other than the feeling of his hand on her leg.

  “What about her?” Her voice sounded strained a little.

  “Someone must have been around with the kid. What about your stepmom?”

  She sighed. “Carrie wasn’t the mother type. When Willow was seven, she was picked up for shoplifting. It was the last offense in a very long line that sent her away for a few years. When she got out…” She shrugged. “We never heard from her.”

  “Where was your dad?”

  “Riding with his gang. He’d send a postcard or an envelope of money to help pay the rent, but for the most part, he was on the road.”

  “How old were you?” he asked, frowning.

  “Fifteen when he left. Seventeen when he returned.”

  “Returned?”

  “After he… found out about the cancer.” She looked at him. She wished she could deny that it still stung. “Less than six months later, we spread his ashes in the ocean.”

  “I’m sorry.” He tugged on her until she lay back down next to him. His hand went into her hair. “I’m not like him, you know.”

  “From where I’m standing, you’re from the same mold,” she said under her breath.

  “I’ve got one of the best families in the world. They see me often and I’m always around.” He smiled. “Besides, if I was gone too long, who would you have to fight with?”

  She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. “There are lots of people that come in. I can choose whomever I want to argue with.”

  Cole frowned. “Are you trying to start a fight now?”

  She giggled and shook her head. “Why would you care?”

  She hadn’t even gotten out the last words before his mouth was covering hers again. This time, there was more heat behind his lips as they moved slowly over hers.

  She’d dreamed about him, just like this. His first kiss, in the freezer, had left her branded and desperate for more. Now, as his hands rushed over her, she desperately wished that she could forget who he was and what he stood for. But even when he pulled back and looked down at her with those incredible blue eyes, she couldn’t forget.

  “Cole, I…”

  He sighed and closed his eyes, then rested his forehead on hers. “I know…” He sighed. “Come on.” He stood up quickly and held out his hand for her. “I’ll walk you home like I promised my sister I would.”

  She took his hand and allowed him to pull her up, then busied herself by dusting the soft sand from her shorts and legs as he watched. They walked in silence for a while as she replayed their conversation in her head.

  “You know, I didn’t mean to make you sound bad.” She glanced at him as they turned down her street.

  “I know.”

  “It’s just that I really want stability in my life.”

  “I know,” he said again and took her hand in his. “But sometimes what you want and what you need are two different things.”

  She couldn’t stop the burst of laughter from slipping out of her lips. “What makes you believe that?” She stopped in front of her door, her keys in her hands.

  He smiled and leaned against her front railing. “Invite me in and I’ll tell you.”

  She chuckled. “That’s probably the worst idea I’ve heard yet.”

  His smile grew. “Won’t know until you give it a try.”

  She shook her head, but she couldn’t stop herself from smiling. “You’re different tonight.”

  She watched his smile falter as he leaned his hip against her railing. “Maybe I’m trying to turn over a new leaf.”

  She leaned against the door frame and sighed. “It’s about time.”

  He chuckled. “Didn’t like the old Cole?”

  She sighed again. “It isn’t that I didn’t like him, just that I couldn’t stand to be in the same room with him.” She smiled.

  “Ouch.” He put his fist up to his chest and beat it a few times. “Hurts right here.”

  “Thanks for walking me home.” She started to open her door. He took two steps and was beside her. His hands went to her arms as he turned her towards him.

  “How about going sailing with me tomorrow?”

  She blinked a few times. “You don’t have a boat.” She frowned.

  “My family does. Up on the bay. I was going to go fishing all by myself, but since you have the weekend off, I thought we could make a day of it. Then we can cook up what we catch for dinner.”

  “I…” She shook her head and started to make some excuse, but he broke in.

  “Before you say no”—his fingers flexed gently on her arms—“what if I promise to be the new Cole. No sign of the old one all day.” The porch light caused his eyes to gleam. His face was really something to look at, especially in the soft light.

  She thought about what she was going to do for the rest of the weekend, now that her sister had chosen her boyfriend over her. The only thing that came to mind, besides thoroughly cleaning her condo, was watching every episode of Breaking Bad on Netflix. Did she really want to spend an entire weekend moping around feeling lonely and sorry for herself?

  “Okay, why not. I haven’t been out on the water in almost a year.”


  His smile was instantaneous. “Great, I’ll pick you up around six.”

  She coughed. “In the morning?” She almost dropped her keys.

  He chuckled. “Don’t worry; you’ll have plenty of sleep.” He glanced down at his watch. “It’s only a quarter to ten.”

  She frowned. “Yeah, but who says I’m going to bed now? Or soon for that matter. I’m not even tired.” She sighed.

  His smile grew. “Then let me in.” He leaned closer. His hands went to her hips as he pulled her against his body. “I bet I can tire you out.”

  She felt his hard body next to hers and felt her own body respond to the promise his made. She knew how good his body would feel in her hands. She’d seen him plenty of times, shirtless, in surf shorts, dripping wet with water. How many times had she dreamed of his body next to hers. Of his hands roaming over her. His mouth… She sighed and shook her head.

  “Not tonight, big boy,” she purred as she took a step back towards her door. She ran her eyes up and down his body slowly and gave him a look. “Besides, old Cole is showing.”

  “Soon.” It came out as a whisper. “Soon, you’ll want to invite me in.” He leaned his hand on her door just behind her head.

  She pressed her shoulders against the cool wood and for a moment allowed herself to imagine what it would be like if she invited him in. Then she felt behind her and slid her key into the lock and was thankful that she got it on the first try.

  “Thanks again for walking me home.” She started to turn.

  “Wendy?” He waited until she turned back, then he leaned in slowly, giving her time to step back, but she held her ground. The kiss was slow and sweet with promises that she doubted he could keep. “I’ll see you at six.”

  She nodded, fearing she couldn’t find her voice. She stepped into her apartment and shut the door solidly behind her.

  The fact that she had to lean against her closed door for almost two minutes to catch her breath and steady her heart did little to assure her that he was a bad idea.

  Looking around her condo, she decided to spend the energy she felt bursting through her entire body by cleaning up the mess. She may want stability in her life, but her condo looked like a teenager lived there.