Damn, he wanted to pick her up, take her to bed and show her exactly what he had been fantasizing about all damn day.
“Cole?” Tori’s eyes fluttered as she reached for his arm, pulling him closer. “I thought you forgot about me.”
“Not on your life,” he declared.
“Good.”
He watched as she stretched, revealing her tight tummy. His breath caught in his throat as she skimmed her hand over his bicep. “The ankle looks good. Swollen, but not broken. I think I’d better get going and let you get some sleep.”
Tori gripped his arm tighter. “Stay with me.”
Her sultry voice made him powerless. “Please, don’t go,” she pleaded.
With his dick instantly hard, he sat across from her on the coffee table. He didn’t trust himself to sit any closer. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to hang around.”
She stuck her silky bottom lip out in a full pout. Her green eyes dancing with anticipation. He was seeing a side of her he had never seen before.
He knew that look.
She wanted him.
She would probably never say it aloud, not sober at least, but he could tell. Cole knew the signs. She was turned on.
“Come sit with me.” Tori touched his leg, skimming his thigh.
He tossed his head back. His heartbeat thumped in his ears as the blood rushed to his groin. Fuck! He had waited forever for her to give him an ounce of attention, and here she was, shit faced. There was no way he could have sex with her while she was drunk.
“Yeah, I think this is close enough.” He stroked her hand, trying to hold it still. Her soft skin sent a current of electricity surging through his body.
Before he knew what was happening, Tori popped up off the couch and flung her arms around his neck, wrapping her legs around his waist. Her ankle would pay the price in the morning.
With his arms around her tiny waist, Cole swallowed back a gulp of air, trying to steady his breathing.
“Now this is close enough,” she whispered. Her lips were begging to be kissed.
He fought the urge to throw her on the couch and fuck her senseless. Instead, he stood up and used his hands to support her backside. Assuming her apartment was laid out like his own, he made his way down the hall to the biggest bedroom.
Tori’s emerald green eyes seared into him. Her breathing grew deep and raw. His engorged hard on was throbbing under his gym shorts, pleading for relief. Cole moved across the room and tried to set her on the bed, but she wrapped herself tighter around his body.
Before he had a chance to protest, her lips crashed down onto his mouth. A moan escaped as her body gyrated against his stiff erection.
“You want me. I can feel it.” She pressed her lips to his neck.
“That wine must have been some good shit.” Cole offered a nervous chuckle. “Tori, we can’t, not like this.”
She nuzzled harder. “Mmhmm” she moaned.
His head was fucking spinning. All he wanted to do was bury himself inside of her. “Dammit,” he muttered. “No, I can’t do this. You’re drunk.” He pried her arms from around his neck and peeled her body off his.
Her relentless pouting almost made him change his mind. He had never seen her like this, and even though she was begging for sex, he didn’t really like it. He didn’t want Tori to be in a drunken stupor the first time they made love.
“You need to get some sleep.” Cole pulled back her covers and placed a pillow under her inflamed ankle. He tugged the blanket over her and made sure she was comfortable. Tiny strands of blond hair fell across her face as she yawned. Watching her blew his mind. He had never felt so strongly about a female before.
He backed away from the bed. Just before he pulled the door closed, he heard a faint whisper.
“Stay with me.”
He waited to make sure it wasn’t his imagination.
“Cole, don’t leave. Stay with me, please.” Tori’s sweet voice was like a cool breeze across his searing, hot skin, giving him chills.
Shit.
He sat on the opposite side of the bed, attempting to keep his distance, but she tossed her arm across his waist. She sighed, pressing her head to his chest. His heart thumped quicker with every breath she took.
There was nowhere else he would rather be.
Chapter 6
Tori
The present pounding in her head sent Tori scrambling underneath the blanket. The light streaming in from the early morning sun was almost unbearable. Or was it afternoon? She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to remember the night before, but only drew a blank.
Gathering up her courage, she climbed out from under the covers and placed her feet on the floor. With the room spinning and her stomach sloshing back and forth, Tori attempted to stand, only to have her ankle give out. She fell backwards, catching herself before hitting the floor.
Falling down the stairs.
Being carried inside.
The wine.
She wove together the pieces of the night. Noticing her apartment key on the bedside table, her stomach leapt into her parched throat.
Cole.
She ran her hand over the far side of the bed, still disheveled from his body. Cole slept in her bed. Her hands immediately flew to her lips, remembering the way she had thrown herself at him, kissing him like a horny teenager.
Tori hobbled to the bathroom and hopped in the shower, feeling every aching nerve running through her purple ankle. Her neck and shoulders tensed, her entire body tightened as everything came back to her. This is exactly why she never let herself have more than a glass of wine. It wasn’t the first time she had used her body to mask whatever feelings she had going on inside, that’s the way her therapist had worded it anyway.
However, Tori couldn’t figure out what she was trying to hide, or trying not to face when it came to Cole. He was just a neighbor, a really hot neighbor. But, there was obviously more to him, other than bulging muscles, gorgeous eyes and kissable lips. She saw a different side of him. He sprang into action to take care of her when she fell, not one time putting the moves on her.
And if she had to be honest, he could have screwed her five times over last night and she wouldn’t have even pretended to protest. Yet, nothing. He was a perfect gentleman.
She was counting her lucky stars that he had left before she woke up. Having to face him this morning would have been humiliating. She didn’t know how she would ever face him again.
For a brief second she thought about how difficult it would be to actually find a new place to live.
She clicked the button on her Keurig and made an extra-large mug of steaming black coffee. No creamer. Last night’s wine guzzling stint already called for a major running session when she was back up and on her feet.
A slip of paper on the counter caught her eye.
Tori,
Try to stay off the ankle as much as possible. I’ll swing by tonight and check on you. Dinner’s on me.
Cole
She leaned against the counter, shocked that he would still want anything to do with her after last night. Her emotions were off the charts and nothing was making sense. One thing was for sure; she couldn’t go to work with her swollen ankle.
Tori called the office and let Sally know she would be working from home. Her friend attempted to drill her on how she got hurt, but Tori wasn’t up for playing twenty questions. Both Katie Bell and Sally would read too much into the situation.
There wasn’t anything to read; at least that’s what she continued to tell herself.
Tori spent the afternoon fixing the sketches that she had worked on the night before. They were a hot mess from her drunken stupor. Taking the day off turned out to be a welcome relief. She listened to music and let her creative juices flow, even getting some of her own sketches done. She pinned the sketch of the vintage cap sleeve 50’s style dress onto her inspiration board and browsed the internet for the perfect fabric.
Hours later, Tori’s
stomach growled, but the thought of food made her stomach pitch. She went to make a piece of dry toast, but stopped when she heard a light knock on the door. She limped across the room and peered through the peephole. Her heart raced at the sight of Cole on the other side of the door. She smoothed her hand over her hair and moistened her lips, wishing she had thought about putting on a little makeup.
“Hey, you’re up and getting around,” he said as he placed a box of Chinese takeout on the kitchen counter.
The smell made her nauseous.
“Yeah, it’s a little sore, but I think I’ll make it.” Tori forced a smile. Her dry throat made it difficult to swallow. Her body immediately reacted to him. The rushing blood left her flesh hot and flushed. “What’s all this?” She nodded towards the table.
“I left you a note saying I’d bring supper when I came to check on you. Hope you like Chinese. I wasn’t sure what you preferred, so I got a little of everything.”
“That was thoughtful, thanks.” Tori made her way to the couch and propped her foot up on a pillow. She held her breath as Cole’s fingertips brushed up against her foot.
He knelt on the floor beside her. “Damn, the swelling didn’t go down at all. If it’s not showing signs of getting better in a day or two, you may need to go in and have it looked at.”
“Ok, thanks.” She glanced around the room, trying not to look him in the eye.
“Well, I guess I’ll let you get some rest.” His hand rested on her leg and Tori could feel his hot gaze on her.
She lifted her eyes to meet his. “You’re not going to stay and eat?” she asked, almost in a whisper.
“I thought you’d never ask.” Cole’s lips curled into a smile, beaming like a kid in a candy store.
Cole
It had been a long ass day, the hours dragging by until he thought it was an appropriate time to check in on Tori. He felt like a stalker, checking his watch every fifteen minutes wondering if it was too early to pop in with dinner.
Last night was like a weird dream. He had spent the entire night watching the girl of his dreams sleep with her head resting on his chest. Every tiny move or twitch made his insides stir. The thought of staying until she woke up had crossed his mind, but he didn’t want to put Tori in that situation. He wanted to save her the pain of being embarrassed and uncomfortable.
Now he was standing in her living room, close enough to smell her lavender scented lotion or soap. Whatever the hell it was, it was driving him insane.
“So, I see you were able to get some work done,” Cole said attempting to make small talk.
“Yes, I worked from home today. It was quite productive.”
The chitchat lasted for a few seconds, followed by what felt like an eternity of silence.
Tori set her plate of untouched food on the end table and prepared to push herself up off the couch.
“No, I’ll get it. What do you need?” Cole jumped up.
“Just something to drink. I can get it.”
“You stay off the foot. What would you like? A beer, wine?”
Her hand flew up to her mouth and her eyes widened. “Oh God, no. Water’s fine.”
Cole stifled a laugh at her reaction to his wine comment. He placed a glass on the end table within her reach just as her phone rang.
She checked the caller ID. “I’m sorry, it’s my mom.” She wouldn’t normally have taken the call, but she needed something to break up the awkward tension.
He offered a nod instead of trying to talk with a mouthful of eggroll.
“Hi Mom. Yeah, I’m home. What’s up?”
He watched Tori’s face change as she listened to her mother. Her eyes glazed over and she appeared to zone out, as if he was no longer in the room. On wobbly legs, she attempted to stand and her body went limp.
Cole snaked his arm around her waist and lowered her to the couch.
“Of course, I’m leaving immediately. Yes, I’ll be careful, mother. I love you too.” She dropped the phone into her lap. Tears spilled down her cheeks.
“Tori, what is it? Are you ok?”
She blinked a few times, almost as if she had just realized he was still there. “Um, that was my mom. My dad is being rushed to the hospital.”
“Shit. What happened? Do they know?”
“They’re not certain, but they’re thinking it was a heart attack.” She pushed herself up again, this time more slowly. “I have to go.” She stumbled to her bedroom.
Cole didn’t know whether he should excuse himself, or follow her. When he heard her crying, he knew he couldn’t leave her alone. He walked into the bedroom and found her hysterically throwing stuff into a bag and making an ill attempt to stifle her tears.
This girl had to be one of the strongest people he had ever met, and for him and his history, that was saying a lot.
“Tori, let me help you. Let me drive you to the airport or something.”
He watched as she sat on her knees, frantically rummaging through her closet.
“They’re in Oceanside. I can get there faster driving. I can’t just wait around at the airport.”
Cole rushed to her side. “Hey,” he took her quivering face in his hands. The streaming tears pierced his heart. Her eyes were red and puffy. Her body trembling. “I’m going to drive you. It’s going to be ok.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
He trailed the backside of his knuckles over her cheek. “You’re not. I’m volunteering. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you while driving so upset. Get your bag. I’m gonna go pack and let Jellybean know I’ll be gone for a couple of days.”
Her shoulders sagged as she nodded and lowered her head. Cole lifted her hand to his lips and gently kissed her soft skin before leaving the room.
He threw a shower kit together and tossed a few clothes into a bag. He forgot that his roommate was working, so he left him a note and made a quick call to let his boss know he needed a few personal days.
He grabbed his keys and rushed out the door, running right into Tori, who was already packed and waiting. He motioned towards the steps and then grabbed both of their luggage. He followed as Tori all but ran towards the car. Her injured ankle wasn’t slowing her down any.
It was going to be a long drive.
Chapter 7
Tori
Tori ran her hands over her legs repeatedly as she bounced her knees. The car was suffocating. She felt as if she couldn’t breathe and wanted to bolt and run. She thought about her big, strong dad in an ambulance and it twisted her stomach into knots. She thought about her sweet and naïve mother, pondering what she would do if she lost her husband. He was the only thing she knew. She lived only for him, not even herself.
Tears pooled again in her eyes and she tried to blink them away before Cole noticed.
He had been so kind to drive her to Oceanside. He was right; she was in no position to be driving. He hadn’t said a word since they left, not even when they stopped for gas and he filled the gas tank on his own dime without question.
After seeing each other in passing over the last year, it was as if they had just met for the first time. She looked at him differently.
They rode in silence with the exception of Tori talking to her mother on the phone. She gave Cole directions to the hospital and prayed her father was going to make it. They still didn’t have any news.
Pulling up to the main entrance, Cole dropped Tori off. She bolted into the hospital and searched for her mother until she found her pacing in a small waiting area on the cardiac floor.
“Oh darling,” her mother said as she rushed in to give her a long embrace.
“Mom, have you heard anything? Where is he?”
“No, nothing. They just keep saying they’re working on him.” Her mother appeared worn down and exhausted. She had never seen her so disheveled in public before. Her hair was a wispy mess. Her wrinkled clothes didn’t match and she didn’t have on any makeup, leaving her face pale with dark circles a
lready forming around her puffy eyes.
“What does that mean? Working on him?” Tori asked.
Her mother shrugged with tears in her eyes. She wrestled with a tissue, winding it around her fingers, tugging on the end.
“Hey, anything yet?”
Tori jumped, forgetting about Cole. She shook her head. When she noticed the look on her mother’s face, she tried to ease the tension.
“Mother, this is a friend of mine, Cole. Cole this is my mother, Claire Altman.”
Cole gently shook her hand. “I’m sorry to have to meet under these circumstances, Mrs. Altman. Praying for the best.”
Tori noticed the small, genuine smile her mother gave him.
“Thank you, Cole. I’m sure the Colonel will be just fine. And please, call me Claire.” She glanced towards her daughter with a questioning look in her eyes.
The three sat in silence waiting for an update, which finally came two hours later.
“Altman family?”
Tori and Claire shot up from their chairs.
“Mr. Altman needed to have emergency surgery to repair damage to his heart. We replaced his aortic valve. He was experiencing major complications due to aortic regurgitation.”
“What does that mean?” Claire muttered.
“It means the valve is faulty and allows the blood to flow back through the valve and into the heart rather than being pumped though out the body.”
Tori held her breath and put an arm around her mother’s shoulders. She felt a hand on the small of her back and realized Cole was standing behind her.
The doctor continued. “The surgery went well, and now we have to wait to see how his body is going to react. If everything goes as planned, we’ll be able to move forward and discuss his recovery options soon.”
“Can we see him?” Tori asked, anxious to see her father.
“Soon. It’ll be a few hours before he’s moved from recovery to a room in ICU. He’s going to be unconscious for the rest of the day. He’s been sedated. Someone can stay with him in his room, but he probably won’t know anyone’s there until tomorrow.”
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