by C. A. Szarek
“Berto’s smart. He’s been a suspect in various crimes from time to time, but nothing’s ever stuck. I think he’s even smarter than Caselli, or he would have never managed to get out.”
“And why is that? Why the change of heart, desire for a change of life?” Andi asked.
“The downfall of many a man, from what I hear,” Cole said.
“What’s that?”
“The love of a good woman.” Cole shook his head, frowning, and Andi punched his shoulder hard.
He stared at the glare marring her gorgeous face for only a moment before throwing his head back and laughing. She was glaring even harder when he met her eyes.
Cole rubbed his shoulder as it smarted. “Damn, you have quite an arm on you. That hurt.”
“Let’s just go, partner,” Andi said. “We need to see if the attendant saw Maldonado and can remember what he was driving.”
He grinned and put the car in drive.
Chapter Nine
Andi tossed and turned. Cole was sleeping on her couch down the hall, and unfortunately, he’d invaded her mind. He was so close…
So much for one night, then making other arrangements. It was a comfort to know he was there, though she wasn’t about to delve into what the hell that meant.
Yesterday they had worked well together, really worked, and had even got something accomplished, though Berto—Mateo Mata—hadn’t been much help. Cole had called her partner more than once. It’d been the first time Andi had felt like his partner. The first time she’d had confidence they would find Maldonado and arrest his ass. The end was in sight. She didn’t dwell on the fact that Cole would leave when the case concluded.
She couldn’t get their kiss out of her mind, though neither of them had brought it up since it’d happened. The other night at the table, he’d leaned in as if he was going to kiss her again. Andi’s heart had sped up. Sully’s interruption had been perfectly timed. What would she have done if her colleague hadn’t needed info on Pete’s CI and Cole’s mouth had landed on hers?
If she closed her eyes, she could feel his warm, full lips moving over hers. She wanted that. To be in his arms, the heat of his body pressing against her. She wanted Cole to kiss her again, to hold her again.
Confusion and guilt warred with the desire that warmed her body. Dammit. What was wrong with her?
Letting her eyes slip closed, she was determined to sleep. Cole popped into her mind again. Leave me alone. Andi didn’t want to remember, didn’t want to feel the way she was already starting to. She still loved Iain. But Iain is gone, a voice reminded her. She ignored it and squeezed her eyes tight, her heart heavy.
Cole had…awakened her in ways she’d assumed were a part of her past. She’d always been practical. It was just a part of her makeup. Iain had been her love, her husband, her chance at happiness. A one-time thing.
The more time she spent with Cole, the more she…wondered. What if there was such a thing as a second chance…
What the hell was she thinking?
He made her feel like a woman, yes. But physical desire, need and sex—that was one thing. The fact that Cole could stir her with only a look didn’t mean there was ever a chance for more.
She didn’t want any of it anyway. Sleeping with Cole—God, did I really just go there? No. Way. Sleeping with Cole would only bring complications. Even if sex after three years might be fantastic.
Who was she kidding—he would be fantastic.
Men like Cole didn’t do relationships. Women like Andi didn’t do without them. They’d be at an impasse before they could start.
Andi groaned aloud and punched her pillow. It couldn’t happen. It couldn’t happen. It just…
“Andi?” Cole called her name, and knocked firmly on her bedroom door.
She froze, then slapped the touch lamp on her nightstand, grabbing the book she had started reading ages ago. Too late, it occurred to her he would have been able to tell her light had been off.
“Nice,” she whispered.
Yanking the errant spaghetti strap of her light-blue tank top back up, she bit back a gulp. She fidgeted in her bed, moving her comforter to make sure her midriff wasn’t exposed. Calm down. He hadn’t come to pounce on her, after all. “Come in,” she called.
“Reading in the dark?” Cole asked, a half-smile playing at his kissable lips. He looked at her, then did a double take.
Heat crept up her neck. “Busted,” she whispered, looking everywhere but at his face.
Cole chuckled and Andi smiled. What was this man doing to her?
He sat on the edge of the bed without asking permission. Andi’s stomach somersaulted. He was close enough to touch, but she maintained her grip on the paperback until her fingertips went numb. “Did you need something?” she asked, cringing internally at the rush of her words.
“Well, I just finished brushing my teeth, and I heard you…groan, or something. It sounded like you were in pain.” Cole’s tone and expression were concerned. Her cheeks burned even more. Oh, he had no idea. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Um… I… I’m fine,” Andi managed. So much for an internal struggle. God, please don’t let him mention how red her face must be.
She glanced at him, going for nonchalance. He was wearing a white, ribbed sleeveless T-shirt that clung to every muscle of his chest and stomach, and dark grey sweatpants that rode low on his hips. Don’t stare, she chanted in her head. What would Cole do if he realised how seriously attracted to him she was?
“I wouldn’t think you read those,” he said, gesturing to her book.
Thank God she had something else to focus on. The paperback was a historic Scottish Highlander romance novel that Andi didn’t let leave the house. The guys at work would never let her hear the end of it.
“It’s about history.” She cringed at her defensive tone. Ouch.
Cole laughed, his dimples flashing. “It’s about sex.”
She looked down at the cover. A kilt-clad warrior with long dark hair brandished a sword, displaying an impossibly muscled naked chest. Andi made eye contact with Cole before letting her eyes graze over his chest. He seemed just as impossibly muscled as the model depicting the hero of her book.
“It’s about love,” she said finally.
Cole laughed again. “Regardless, I wouldn’t think you’d read something like that.”
“I’ve always loved romance novels, and Scotland, to be honest.” Why the hell had she admitted her addiction to romance novels? Cole wouldn’t let her live anything down.
Thinking of Scotland reminded Andi of Iain. She sighed. “It’s all Iain’s fault, really,” she whispered.
Cole held her gaze silently and she flashed a smile. She braced herself for the tell-tale heartache that always hit when she thought about Iain, but instead, Andi’s stomach fluttered.
“Iain read romance novels?” Cole’s grey eyes were wide.
“No,” Andi said, shaking her head and laughing at the disbelief in his expression. “We met at the bookstore.”
“Ah…”
“Iain was from Scotland, accent and everything, even though he’d lived in the US since he was about twelve. One day, I was looking at the new releases in romance paperbacks, and one caught my eye like this one, a Highlander romance. I was scanning the back when I heard a voice in my ear.” He’d startled her, really. When she’d turned around, she had been confronted with a tall, extremely good-looking redheaded man with deep brown eyes.
Andi hadn’t known what to say. She didn’t often get hit on, especially at the bookstore. And Iain was so handsome.
“What did he say?” Cole asked. He leant forward.
“He told me if I wanted to experience a real Scot, to put the book down and go to dinner with him.”
Cole grinned. “Did you say yes?”
“Hell no. I told him he was pompous and presumptuous, and walked away. I don’t know why, really. He’d shocked me, I guess. Iain only laughed and told me I didn’t know what I was missing.�
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Cole shook his head, his eyes dancing. “Obviously, you changed your mind.”
“Well, when I got to work the next morning—I wasn’t a detective then, I was a patrol officer on the day shift—I got the surprise of my life during briefing.” Andi smiled. God, she’d been so mortified. But she was enjoying the time with Cole. Talking about Iain didn’t hurt at all. Sharing a lighter memory warmed her heart.
“What happened?” He inched closer and Andi’s heart stuttered.
She had to concentrate on his question. “Chief Martin introduced two new patrol officers. One of whom was Officer Iain MacLaren. I wanted to melt into my seat. He recognised me immediately, of course, and winked. He winked at me.” Andi shook her head, grinning.
“Then the rest fell into place,” Cole said softly, a statement not a question.
Her smile faded. “It was supposed to be happily ever after…” She bit her lip, swallowing hard against the sudden lump in her throat. Why had she said that?
Cole tried not to stare at her, but she was so stunning it took his breath away. When her expression faltered, his chest tightened.
He pulled her into his arms. She came to him, wrapping hers around his waist. Her skin was soft as his palms brushed her shoulders, bare except for the thin straps of her tank top, and he almost shuddered.
She was so beautiful talking about the man she’d loved. Andi’s blue eyes had been bright, even in the dimness of the room. The jealousy that grabbed his gut made no sense. He wanted her to look at him like that, but he couldn’t compete with a ghost.
“You still love him,” he whispered into her hair. She smelt like strawberries. Cole let his eyes slip closed and rested his cheek against her silken locks.
When he’d walked into the room to see her skimpy tank top and her long chestnut hair loose, falling in waves around her shoulders, his heart had skipped into overdrive. He’d wanted to bury his fingers in it and caress her all over.
He’d sat on her bed without thought. Why hadn’t she kicked him out, or at least demanded he move away from her? She’d done neither, and he’d been so mesmerised by her beauty and candour while she’d told the story about meeting Iain, he’d had to restrain himself from touching her.
Andi looked up and Cole expected her to push him away, but she didn’t. She met his eyes. “I do. Part of me will always love him, I suppose. He gave me Ethan.”
His heart thumped. He needed to kiss her. Andi had just admitted to loving another man, but it didn’t matter. He had to taste her. He lowered his head and captured her lips with his.
She kissed him back, opening for him and rubbing her tongue against his. He moaned and pulled her closer to his chest. She slipped her arms around his neck and he deepened the kiss, moving his mouth hungrily over hers.
His cock stood at attention, pressing against the soft cotton of his sweats. Cole lowered her to the bed. Andi moaned against his mouth and tugged him closer.
Slipping his hand between them, Cole yanked the blankets away. He cupped her breasts through the thin fabric of her shirt and her nipples peaked under his fingertips.
More.
He needed bare skin.
Trailing hot kisses down her neck, he slid a hand under her top, teasing her nipple with his thumb. Andi writhed and crushed her mouth into his. Cole took control of the kiss and groaned against her heated lips.
His hand travelled downward. Warm, soft and supple, she was driving him crazy. She moaned again as he dragged his fingers across her taut belly. Her muscles shivered under his touch and she moved into his hand, demanding he continue his ministrations.
Kissing her again and again, he devoured her mouth and she clung to him, kissing him back with a fervour that surprised and aroused him to the point of pain.
Cole parted her thighs with his knee and settled into the cradle of her body. He bit back a cry—she was exquisite beneath him, chest to breasts, hips to hips. He pushed his pelvis into hers, rocking against her.
Tracing a path down her hip and around the curve of her buttocks, he squeezed the firm roundness before yanking her against him. Andi gasped as he ground into her, breaking their latest kiss. She undulated under him and Cole almost lost control. They had too many clothes on. He needed to be inside her.
He fused their mouths again and slipped his hand inside her boxer shorts. She wiggled at the first brush of her slick hot flesh. His cock threatened to blow—God, she was perfect. Cole needed to see her, taste her. He tugged, wanting the shorts off her. He needed her naked in his arms, he wanted to watch her as he slipped into her wet core.
“I want you so much,” Cole breathed.
He trailed kisses along her jaw line, stopping to nibble on her earlobe, then down her neck. She trembled in his arms.
“No. Cole, we have to stop.” Andi’s chest heaved as she pushed him away, both palms flat on his chest. Her voice was thick and ragged with need. He hesitated. She couldn’t know what she was saying.
Cole shook his head, pulling away from her completely and rising to his feet. He made a fist, his body screaming a protest. “I never meant it to go that far,” he choked out.
Liar. He’d have been inside her in less than a minute.
Andi scrambled for the comforter and yanked it up to her chin. She was gorgeous, even though pain raged in her sapphire eyes. She was flushed pink, her hair mussed and lips swollen, her freckles prominent. But the look on her face, hurt and guilt, made his heart drop to his stomach.
God, he wanted to crawl back into her bed, to touch her, hold her and wipe that look away. He wanted her, but that expression was his fault.
“Just go, Cole,” Andi begged. Tears began to roll down her cheeks.
Oh, hell no. He’d made her cry. Cole’s heart stuttered, his stomach roiling.
He took a step forward, but she put her palm up to stop him from coming back to her.
“Just go…please… Just go…”
“Andi… I’m really sorry.” Cole ran his hand through his hair and shut his eyes. There was so much he needed to say to her, but words deserted him. He gave up, slipping from the room and closing her bedroom door behind him.
He went straight out of the front door, resisting the urge to slam it. Why couldn’t the temperature outside be twenty degrees cooler? His cock was as hard as rock, no change in sight. He throbbed with a need that could only be assuaged by the woman he’d just left.
Cole wasn’t angry with Andi—hell, she’d just admitted how she felt about her husband, dead or not. Why had he kissed her? Something about Andi MacLaren made him lose control. She affected him like no woman ever had before.
God, how she’d responded to him. Her kiss branded him. Cole licked his lips and tasted her there. Her hands on him had been better than anything he’d dreamed up or imagined about her touch. The shower incident paled in comparison to the real thing.
Andi had been hot and wet, and damn… He had never wanted so badly in his life.
He’d been torn between comforting her and pushing her down onto the bed, taking what he wanted, what they both wanted. Even though she’d pushed him way, there was no doubt she wanted him. The way she’d kissed him back wasn’t a lie.
But the guilt on her face and her tears? What the hell did she have to feel guilty for? Her husband had been dead for three years.
It smarted…no, more than smarted to be passed over for a dead guy.
Cole growled. No. She couldn’t. Nothing had ever been so right for him. Cole didn’t just want her body, he wanted more.
More? No way. A sexual relationship was all he wanted, all he had ever needed. It was the same with her…like it had been for years. Nothing had changed.
“I need to go for a run,” he muttered to the empty porch.
He stretched quickly, then shook his limbs out, jogged down the three steps, and jumped up and down. Physical activity would get his head back in the game. Maybe it would get rid of his hard-on, too.
“A run will do it,” he whispered.
Talking to himself, really? Maybe he was going nuts.
He was the same Cole Lucas he’d always been. He wanted Andi, yes, and he’d have her. But even after he had her, he would be the same man. That chestnut hair, those freckles and those big blue eyes wouldn’t change him.
She was the same as every other woman he’d ever lusted after. He’d get into her pants a few times then she would be out of his system.
Cole repeated those words like a mantra as he took off down the street, starting with a jog before settling into a comfortable run.
Maybe by the time he got back to her house he’d have even convinced himself.
Chapter Ten
Andi peered around the door to her bedroom, her gaze darting down the hallway. She paused, listening hard. The guest bathroom shower was running. Good—she didn’t have to face Cole just yet. Coward.
After scooting into Ethan’s room, she woke him. He rubbed his eyes and yawned with his morning greeting. She grinned at her son in spite of herself. She was tempted to snatch him up, stuff him into clothes, rush out of the house in her own vehicle and feed him a fast food breakfast on the way to day care.
“Damn, all that to avoid Cole? I really am a coward,” she muttered, shaking her head.
“Mama?” Ethan asked as he hopped off his toddler bed.
“Get dressed, buddy. You want pancakes for breakfast?”
“Yeah!” He jumped up and down and she laughed.
Ethan would keep her normal. She would make sure he stayed between her and Cole at all times. But what would Andi do when he was safely at preschool and she was stuck with a certain FBI agent all day long?
She gulped and bit her bottom lip, trying to forget him and the previous night as memories danced through her mind. His lips on hers. His weight on her body. His hands caressing her bare skin, brushing over her most private places. Andi shivered, made a fist and clenched her thighs.
No. She wouldn’t remember. She couldn’t. And she did not want it—or more—to happen again. Damn him.
Making breakfast helped her focus on routine and she didn’t think about Cole…much. But she did dread his arrival in the kitchen. Ethan was already in his booster seat, talking about colouring with Bella after school yesterday, so Andi concentrated on that, commenting when it was required and smiling at the picture affixed to the refrigerator. Unfortunately, its childish perfection displayed three figures holding hands. One was labelled ‘me’, another ‘Mama’ and the last ‘Cole’. Bella had no doubt helped him form the letters. She groaned.
