by C. A. Szarek
He melded her body to his and crushed her mouth. She kissed him back just as urgently and soon they were both trembling with need.
“I want you so badly,” he breathed.
Andi nibbled his bottom lip, sending a shiver down his spine.
“I want you too,” she admitted. “Take your pants off.”
Cole didn’t have to hear the order twice. He pulled away from her and ripped his sweats and boxer briefs down. He kicked out of them as they hit the carpet, his erection jutting as it sprang free.
She gasped. Her eyes were glued to his body, and Cole was hit with an unfamiliar wave of self-consciousness. He wanted her to be pleased by what she saw.
Her nudity jarred him as well, his gaze trailing her body. Andi’s blush spread all the way to her toes.
She was perfection. Large breasts he ached to cup and taste. Rounded hips, the ideal edge of softness to a flat stomach, heaven in the dark, trimmed curls that guarded her core. Long legs that were made to wrap around his waist.
She enfolded her arms around her slender body, but Cole shook his head. “You’re gorgeous, don’t hide from me,” he whispered.
Her blush deepened and she averted her gaze, but her breasts lifted as she took a breath, then Andi took a step towards him. She reached for him, dragging her fingertips across his hard pecs. His nipples tightened and he bit back a gasp.
“No hair, huh?” she whispered as her caress became firmer, and she traced his defined lines with her fingertips.
Concentrating on her words was a chore. “Never had much, no.” Cole let his eyes slip closed.
Every sweep of her hands set him on fire. When her touch dipped lower, he groaned. Her teasing fingers continued downward, skimming his cock. She caressed his tip, then his entire length, exploring him until he ached.
Cole bit his lip to keep from crying out. Andi gripped him, stroking from tip to base several times. He swayed on his feet and gently encircled her wrist.
“If you do that much more, this will be over before it starts,” he admitted. He panted, his erection throbbing.
Andi smiled. “You like it?”
“To put it mildly.”
Cole yanked her to him again and took her mouth. He swept her up into his arms then deposited her on the centre of her bed. Cradling her body, he followed her down.
“God, you’re perfect,” he breathed, closing his eyes as the sensation of her naked body touching his washed over him. She was warm, lush and supple, but more than that, she was right against him.
Andi caressed his stubbled cheek, then settled her hand at the back of his neck. He obliged, slanting his mouth against hers again as he caressed her breasts.
Her nipples peaked against his palms, and he teased them with both thumbs as he cupped and kneaded her. Moaning, she arched into him and rubbed her tongue against his. Burying her fingertips in his short hair, she held him closer as Cole deepened the kiss, devouring her mouth.
He slipped a hand between them, parting the dark curls between her legs. Writhing under him, Andi begged for more.
Cole spread kisses down her jaw line and neck. She cried out when he closed his mouth around her nipple and teased the other with his thumb.
The taste of her clean, hot skin burst in his mouth. He ran his tongue around her nipple before lavishing the other with the same treatment. Andi yelped as his warm wet kisses continued down her belly and he planted a kiss on her inner thigh, urging her legs apart.
“Relax,” Cole whispered, teasing her with his thumb and dropping a kiss above her most sensitive place. “Let me in, babe.” She wiggled against his grip.
Their eyes locked and she panted, but she opened for him and he settled between her legs. Her swollen, ready flesh glistened and his cock pulsated. Tasting her was going to take him past his limits, but it was something he had to do.
Andi cried his name, burying her hands in his hair with the first brush of his tongue against her sex, and Cole moaned. She was perfect in every way. He gave her no mercy, sucking her into his mouth and pushing his tongue inside her, plunging in and out.
Her hips came up off the bed until he held her down with both hands. She thrashed and moaned, moving her head back and forth on her pillow.
Cole slipped a finger inside and she screamed, her thighs shaking. Her inner muscles clenched him and he froze. She was close, but he didn’t want her to come that way. He needed to be inside her when she shattered, clutching his cock tight.
He shot up her body, fusing his mouth to hers. She gripped his shoulders, arching into him and kissing him back frantically. Andi quivered in his arms, but he held her tight to him.
Cole was trying to kill her. Andi didn’t have time to contemplate his bringing her to the edge with his mouth then impeding her orgasm. Before frustration could settle over her, he was on her, holding her close, kissing her into oblivion. His taste this time was a mixture of her essence as well, and desire made her a rippling puddle.
The hot length of his erection burned her hip and she throbbed from head to toe. Never had she been this aroused. She wanted him, needed friction and pressure from him.
She thrust her pelvis into him and Cole groaned against her mouth, rocking against her.
“Cole… I need you inside me,” Andi whimpered, pulling away from their kiss. “Please… I…need…you…”
He nodded, pressing a quick, hard kiss to her lips, then turning away. She trembled at the loss of his warmth against her.
Relief poured over her as she heard the tell-tale crinkle of the condom wrapper. Her eyes devoured his gorgeous, muscled body as he rolled it on. God, she’d never had this much fire for someone in her life. Her blood was boiling. She wanted to touch and taste him all over.
“Looking at me like that…you’re killin’ me,” he breathed. He sat on the edge of the bed and Andi reached for him. She had to touch him.
He whispered her name and she dragged her hand down his chest. She tugged on his hand. “Come to me, Cole. Please.”
Andi wiggled under him as soon as Cole covered her body again, his erection brushing her core. Heat bloomed, making her ache. She lifted up and Cole gripped her with both hands. He leant down and kissed her gently. Her stomach somersaulted at the tenderness in his steel eyes.
They both cried out as he slid into her. Andi tilted her hips, taking him deeper, and his name fell from her lips.
She writhed, begging him to move, but he stilled above her, looking down, his gaze intense, unreadable. Her heart thundered. The rightness of the moment overwhelmed her.
Move. She needed him to move. The pleasure would chase those dangerous thoughts from her head.
Cole pulled out then plunged forward, eliciting another cry from Andi. She gripped his biceps and urged him on, meeting him thrust for thrust. She wrapped her legs around his waist, demanding even more. He gave her what she wanted, fast and frenzied. She panted against him as they moved together.
Sweat covered them both, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. He took her higher and higher, pressure building steadily until it consumed her. Her head spun and she screamed. Release hit hard. She arched into him, her whole body contracting. Throwing her head back, she called his name, her nails digging into his shoulders as she clutched him to brace herself. Her thighs shook and she wrapped herself more tightly around him as she fought to breathe.
He was right there with her, pulling almost all the way out before thrusting hard. Cole stilled, buried deep, and moaned her name as he pulsed inside her. He kissed her throat and Andi shivered with an aftershock of passion that he soon echoed, squeezing her in his arms.
Cole collapsed on top of her, but she liked his weight. They both panted, chest heaving against breasts.
Coherent thought was impossible. Emotion and pleasure warred, hitting her in a wave.
He tugged against her tight grip and she reluctantly loosened her arms and legs. Moving away gently, Cole slipped out of her body and Andi involuntarily shook.
Bef
ore she could speak, he leant down and kissed her. It was a deep, languorous kiss that melted her already sated form. She snuggled into his warmth. The kiss went on for what felt like forever, and Andi moaned.
“Wow,” she whispered, taking a breath as he broke the seal of their lips.
Cole met her eyes. “Understatement.”
“No one has ever made me feel like that,” Andi confessed. Her stomach roiled. Why the hell had she said that? She’d never intended to say it aloud.
He rewarded her with a brilliant smile, dimples and all. Her heart sped into overdrive.
“Me either,” he whispered.
She leaned into him, staring and holding her breath. “You’re not just saying that?” Andi didn’t want the answer, so it didn’t matter. Or so she tried to convince herself. As she fought to maintain his gaze, everything in her demanded she look away.
Cole cupped her face, teasing her cheek with his thumb. “I wouldn’t lie to you.”
Throwing her arms around his neck, she crushed her mouth into his. He groaned, kissing her back without hesitation. Their tongues danced and Andi nestled into his chest as he pulled her closer, sighing against his mouth.
She uttered a protest when he pulled away.
Cole chuckled. “Relax, babe, just going to clean up. I’ll be right back.” He kissed her forehead then slid into the bathroom.
Andi admired the way his muscles moved as he headed back to her bed.
“You’re looking at me like that again, Andi,” Cole growled. “You’re asking for trouble.” He pressed a warm, wet washcloth between her legs, staving off her retort.
She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from yelping and her face burned. Cole was so gentle with her. After what they’d just shared, her embarrassment was ridiculous. Chiding herself, Andi shook her head as he tossed the cloth into her laundry basket in the corner.
He smiled, flashing his dimples, and slipped back into her bed. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her. “Can I sleep with you?” Cole whispered against her lips.
Andi pulled back and met his eyes. Words deserted her and her chest tightened.
“I mean sleep here, with you,” he whispered, caressing her cheek.
“Oh…”
“I wasn’t sure how you felt about Ethan seeing me in your bed.”
“Oh.” Andi’s heart dropped to her stomach. Her son had never seen a man in her bed, because there had never been one.
Guilt rushed her and she had to blink back sudden tears. Cole studied her, saying nothing. Should she kick him out? No. She wanted to sleep in his arms. It had been so long since she’d felt the comfort of being held by a man who’d just made love to her.
Iain. She paused, waiting for guilt to overtake her. She licked her lips, tasting Cole there, and held her breath. No assault of guilt or remorse. Andi wouldn’t question it now.
She met Cole’s eyes and her chest constricted. He paused, his jaw tight. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.
Cole and Iain. Iain and Cole.
She still loved Iain, but…somehow… It was odd to think about Iain while Cole held her. What the hell was happening to her?
“I’ll just go,” Cole whispered. He sat up and shot to the edge of the bed.
“No.” Andi gripped his forearm. His muscles rippled under her fingertips. “Stay. Please.”
The hesitation in his body made her heart thud. His eyes asked, Are you sure?
“He never wakes before six. I want you to stay.” She rested her palm on his chest and cuddled closer to him. “I don’t want you to go,” she repeated.
He slid his arm around her shoulders and settled beside her, pulling up the comforter. Cole smiled and kissed her with a tenderness that made her stomach somersault all over again.
That smile…that kiss…mean nothing. His words meant nothing. There was no deeper insight to his assurance that no one had ever made him feel like she had.
They’d shared some incredible sex. End of story.
The intensity she’d experienced had to be because Iain had been her last lover, a lifetime ago.
Even as he held her, her head on his muscled chest, her body nestled close to his, Andi repeated those words like a mantra. She had to.
Otherwise, she would fall in love with Cole Lucas.
Chapter Fourteen
Andi studied the heat swirls of her coffee, her tongue thick and sour. Her cheeks warmed as she tried not to watch Cole fixing himself a mug. His back muscles rippled under his tight shirt as he reached for a spoon then the sugar.
Her gaze trailed down, following the curve of his tight buttocks. The dark, clinging jeans didn’t leave much to wonder about. She closed her eyes against the rush of memories…his body on hers, his mouth, his hands…them moving together, shattering together. A shiver slid down her spine. Then…sleeping in his arms… When was the last time she’d slept as well?
Ethan babbled away about day care, but Andi wasn’t paying much attention. No mother of the year award for me.
It was a good thing her son didn’t notice as he shovelled eggs into his mouth, offering a bright smile and further chatter between bites.
Cowardice had made her sneak out of bed and into the bathroom to shower. Heaven forbid she wait for Cole to wake so they could have a much needed adult conversation. But chiding herself didn’t change how she dreaded—well, everything.
Looking at him, talking to him, working with him. They’d crossed a line they couldn’t step back over.
What was she supposed to do if he tried to kiss her, touch her? Melt into him, most likely.
Avoiding Cole’s touch now that she knew what it was like to be with him would be a hundred times harder than before.
When she’d finished her shower, her bed had been empty. The shower in the other bathroom had been running. Cole hadn’t even tried to come into her bathroom—she didn’t know whether to be disappointed or relieved.
Andi had shoved herself into clothes and hurried down to her son’s room, leaving the question unanswered. She needed an Ethan buffer in a big way. She gulped, shifting on her seat as Cole fixed himself a plate of the food she’d made.
It was natural, her new normal. Something she craved every morning. God, she was losing it.
One night in his arms and she could visualise the point of no return.
It couldn’t happen. He was leaving after they arrested Maldonado. The day they’d met he’d told her how he felt about small towns. Besides, he had a bigger case to wrap up, federal stuff that would take him back into dangerous territory, and for some reason that scared her. Why did that scare her?
Before, Andi would have rejoiced at the thought of him leaving. Now…well… Her heart ached. Not seeing him every day?
Oh. Shit.
She was so screwed. For her own protection, she would have to pull back. Andi would tell him how things were going to be.
As soon as they dropped Ethan off, she’d explain that last night had been a one-time thing. A weakness she couldn’t repeat. She wouldn’t sleep with him again.
Andi didn’t regret being with him but, for both their sakes, it couldn’t happen again. Cole would understand. He was a professional. She’d seen him be professional, and would just have to get him to focus on that—the case, Maldonado. End of story.
Remaining his lover would be…messy. Andi didn’t do messy.
“Are you okay?” Cole asked as he slid onto the seat across from her. His gaze was intense and she swallowed hard.
Sit still. She forced a breath and nodded. If she tried to speak, she’d stumble over her words.
Cole ruffled Ethan’s hair, causing her son to giggle.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Cole said slowly.
How the heck could he be so normal?
Andi cleared her throat, shooting a meaningful glance at Ethan before meeting Cole’s grey eyes. He nodded slightly and one corner of his delectable mouth lifted. So, he’d understood. But it didn’t make her feel any better.
“We should probably talk about it,” he said, sipping his coffee and holding her gaze.
Heat crept up her neck and she shifted in her chair. Maybe he hadn’t caught her subtlety after all. Or—more like Cole—he didn’t care. “Not now.”
“I know. But it’ll happen.” The promise in his tone made her heart skip.
She ignored the tenderness in his eyes. Andi would not cave. She’d made the right choice. Being firm with him was the only thing that would save her heart.
“We’ll talk, later.”
Cole nodded and took a bite of toast. He gave her a once-over that made her squirm. Her cheeks burned.
“Andi,” he whispered, but she looked down.
“Pete’s coming over for dinner tonight,” she said a bit too loudly.
“Unca’ Pete!” Ethan’s exclamation made her breath exit on a whoosh.
Saved by the kid. Thank God.
Cole sighed and leant back in his chair, but said nothing.
“Yeah, Uncle Pete. It’s been too long since he’s been over. But he hurt his arm, so no jumping on him, okay, buddy?”
Ethan nodded and flashed a grin. Wiping the grape jelly off his cheek with a napkin, Andi ignored the face he made.
“Okay, Mama. Cole, you know my Unca’ Pete?”
Cole chuckled. “Yes, I do. It’ll be good to see him again.”
“We can play!”
“Sure thing, kiddo.”
Andi bit her lip. She’d always been transparent when it came to Pete. How would she deal with both men in the same room? They’d hit it off at the hospital, but Cole might act differently now that they’d had sex. And she’d have trouble avoiding Pete’s third degree. No doubt her partner would jump for joy when he figured it out. Andi had zero desire to hear it, and she certainly wasn’t about to volunteer information. She’d kill Cole if he told Pete.
“Something wrong?” Cole asked.
She shook her head. “No. Wrap up your breakfast, we need to go.”
Irritation flared across his handsome face. His full lips were set in a hard line, his eyebrows drawn tight. “You and I are not done.”
