She had tried to avoid it, refused to acknowledge it. She’d told herself he was just like any other guy—even when she saw him every day, even when she’d talked to him about how desperately she wanted to leave Georgeville and admitted how scared she was to do it.
But Cole wasn’t like anyone else. He wasn’t like Darrell, just a friend she fucked and nothing more. And that scared her.
A lot.
Hell, she’d called his name while climaxing with someone else inside her.
Darrell sped up, stiffening as he came. She turned away from Cole, buried her face in the pillow, and let it all crash over her—the sensations, the overwhelming emotions.
She moaned in protest when Darrell withdrew, but then she heard the crinkle of a wrapper, and another man pressed against her entrance.
Cole.
He jerked into her, his motions rough, uncontrolled. She slid forward on the bed and orgasmed again almost immediately.
Cole pulled out and rolled her onto her back and thrust into her once more. He fucked her wildly, his mouth coming down over hers and kissing her senseless. She couldn’t think anymore—it was impossible. She was caught up in everything that was happening to her body. With Cole, and after two orgasms, it was even more intense than before. She nearly told him to stop. She couldn’t take it any longer. She loved him. She wanted to be with him more than anything, but…
She didn’t let herself finish that thought. She gave herself over to the way he was pleasuring her, giving her exactly what she needed in the moment.
“Rachel,” he growled. “Rachel.”
And he kissed her again, his lips demanding everything she had, yet giving her even more in return.
She bucked her hips to meet his and bent her legs. She wanted him deeper, and even though she knew he couldn’t be as deep as she wanted, even though he couldn’t pierce all the way through her, she couldn’t help but try.
He raised his head from hers, his hair falling over his eyes, his forehead damp. She had never seen anything sexier. She dug her fingernails into his back as he sped up, and he clutched her against him as he reached his climax. She nearly called out his name again when he spilled himself inside her, so overcome with joy that she’d brought him to this point.
When he pulled away and got up to dispose of the condom, she sank into the mattress, blissed out on sex.
That had been even more amazing than she’d dreamed it would be.
Cole returned a minute later and got back into bed with her. She suddenly remembered about Darrell. Where was he? He must have left, but she had no idea when that had happened. She’d been totally consumed by another man. Another man who was now wrapping his arms around her and holding her from behind. A man who wasn’t just interested in her body, who wondered if dating wouldn’t be so bad after all if it was with her. A man she wanted more than she’d ever wanted anyone before.
Cole was hardly the picture of a romance novel hero, but this was the man she’d fallen for. Head over heels.
But how could she have a relationship with him? He’d told her he didn’t want to go back to Toronto, and she wanted nothing more than to escape to the city.
No, that wasn’t true. She wanted him more than she wanted to move away, and he’d shown her that unexpected adventures could happen even in this teeny-tiny town.
Still, could she give up the dream she’d had for so long so she could be with him? The dream that she’d only just decided to pursue? She’d sworn she wouldn’t let that happen.
She looked over at Cole, and her heart clenched in pain.
She threw on a T-shirt and ran out of the bedroom.
Chapter Seventeen
Darrell was sitting in Rachel’s living room, drinking a beer.
Yes. That was better. Darrell was safe. She wouldn’t feel anything around him.
“You want me to go?” he said. “Or are you ready for another round?”
Rachel couldn’t manage that right now. She was worn out from having two men inside her. And she was overwhelmed emotionally.
She sat down. “You could have stayed in the bedroom.”
Darrell chuckled. “I would have stayed if you’d asked me to, but you didn’t even notice when I got up. Seemed like a private moment.”
“He watched you have sex with me. You could have done the same.” She needed to hold on to that logic, although it didn’t seem to matter at the moment.
Darrell rested his elbows on his knees and looked at her. “Yes, honey. But it wasn’t the same, and you know it. Even when you were with me, you were really with him. You called out his name.”
She looked away. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s no reason to be sorry. I had sex. I’m not complaining. And I knew what I was getting into. Trust me, I could tell by the way you looked at each other. You guys dating?”
“We slept together a bunch of times, and he asked me out, but…” She paused. “I don’t date. I haven’t dated since high school. It doesn’t interest me.”
“But he interests you.”
“Yes.” That was terrifying to admit, but she couldn’t pretend otherwise.
He shrugged. “So, it’s simple. You’re not interested in a relationship with most guys, but he’s different. Seems like a good sign.”
“You don’t date, either.”
“I would if I found the right person. And, sad to say, that person isn’t you, Rachel.”
She gave him an easy smile. “I never thought it was.”
“I know. I always knew exactly where I stood with you.” He patted her bare thigh. “I hope this reluctance to date doesn’t have anything to do with Brandon.”
“I can’t help it,” she admitted. “I was in a relationship once, and I was miserable.”
That was a tiny piece of it, but it wasn’t the main problem. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to tell Darrell the truth, to tell him about her dreams to leave Georgeville.
“Rachel. It was high school. Everyone was miserable. Besides, Brandon’s an ass. It doesn’t need to be like that in a relationship.” Darrell stood up. “I better go. But if you ever want to have a threesome again, let me know.” He kissed her on the cheek and made his way to the door.
“You won’t tell anyone about this, will you?” Rachel said before he stepped outside. She knew she could trust him, but she wanted to hear him say the words.
He turned back for a moment. “No, honey. Unless you want me to.”
She shook her head.
“I should probably stop calling you honey and sweetheart. I don’t think he’d like it.”
When she pictured Cole using those words, she had to cover her mouth to prevent a burst of laughter from escaping.
But she didn’t feel happy. She felt terrified by having a man who wanted to be with her. Really be with her, not just for a few nights.
A man whose vision of the future was not compatible with her own.
Darrell left, and she shuffled back to the bedroom.
Cole was sitting up in bed, arms on his knees. He’d put his boxers on, but nothing else. She wished he could stay here and call her sweetheart, but it wasn’t that simple.
“Come here.” He motioned beside him.
She sat down and rested her head on his shoulder. His pull on her heart was too strong to do otherwise.
“You can tell me you don’t want me,” he said quietly, “but I won’t believe it for a second. When I saw Darrell, I knew he was a man almost any woman would pick over me. He’s tall and handsome. Easygoing. Confident. Knows what he’s doing in bed. Yeah, totally the man nearly everyone would pick. But not you. I saw you watching me, Rachel. I know what you were thinking. It was about me, not him, even when he had his cock stuffed inside you.”
She loved when he was crude. It made her skin prickle in a very good way.
But it didn’t change anything.
She didn’t know what to say.
“I never thought I’d fall in love,” he said. “I mean, given that
I don’t like people, it seemed like a bit of a stretch. But you—”
“Stop. Please.”
She couldn’t bear to hear any more. If she did, she might give in, to this man she hadn’t known for very long, rather than pursuing the dream she’d had for over a decade.
She needed to put herself first. She’d been living a life she didn’t want for so long, and she needed to change that.
Cole pulled back and brushed a tear from her cheek. Shit, she’d started crying.
“Should I stay,” he said, “or should I leave?”
“Leave,” she whispered.
And he did.
…
The next evening, Cole was sitting on the stairs that led to his tiny porch, a small glass of vodka in his hand. This was all he would drink, though. He wouldn’t let himself go on a bender over a woman, although damn, it was tempting.
He took another sip. The vodka burned on the way down, but it was better than scotch. And he didn’t particularly want to show his face at Lawson’s anyway, afraid he’d run into Rick again. Or Darrell, for that matter. That would be awkward, too. The problem of living in a small town where there was only one bar.
Rachel, however… He was pretty sure she was home, since the light was on in her bedroom.
He didn’t understand what had happened.
He knew she returned his feelings. But she’d told him to leave.
Christ. He ran a hand through his hair. What a fucking mess.
He finished his vodka, which didn’t do as much to ease his broken heart as he’d hoped, and stood up. He put his hand on the doorknob, then realized he hadn’t checked the mail.
To his surprise, there was a postcard. Of the giant Canada goose in Wawa, Ontario. The postcard looked old, the colors dull.
There was only one person who would ever send him a postcard. The one person who would always love him no matter what.
He read what his mother had written on the back:
Remember this? I found it when I was cleaning out the basement. It’s twenty-three years old. I bought it for you because you loved the goose and the name of the town. You told me you wanted to stay, and you cried when I said we couldn’t. But I’m glad I didn’t listen to you. I like it in Ottawa.
Cole stared at it for a long time, remembering their trip across the country, their journey to a new life, and all of a sudden, it clicked.
Yes, he’d given Rachel her sexual fantasy. But the fantasy that was really important to her was moving to the city. She’d told him that, the morning they were cuddled up in bed together. Told him that she was finally going to take that risk.
But he’d just moved to Georgeville. He’d told her he didn’t want to go back.
He looked up at the sky, the darkness more complete than it ever was in Toronto, lit with more stars than you could ever see in the city. He liked certain parts of living in Georgeville, although some people here were far too chatty, and a few more restaurants or bars would be nice. Plus that pizza place in Ridgewood wasn’t exactly the world’s best pizza.
He would be content to stay here and perhaps buy that house with the tall fences. But it wouldn’t be the same without Rachel.
He wanted to be with her. And she wanted that fresh start.
Yes, he would prefer not to move back to Toronto, in part because the housing market was utterly ridiculous there, and the average house cost at least a million dollars. It was too noisy. Traffic was insane. And all those goddamn people, packed like sardines in the overcrowded subway.
But she’d said Ottawa would be fine, too. She hadn’t wanted to move to Toronto necessarily.
And if she really wanted it, he would be willing to do it, if that was what he needed to do to be with her. Any thoughts of astronomy or gardening as hobbies would need to be put on hold. That was okay.
He released a breath.
Perhaps this wasn’t hopeless after all.
…
The next day after work, Cole went to the grocery store, where he bought the lone postcard on sale. It was of the provincial park nearby, which he still hadn’t been to, although it was the only real attraction in the area.
Well, he had a good excuse. He’d been too busy having sex with his hot neighbor.
Which he would hopefully get to do again soon.
He also bought a bouquet of pink roses. He planned to be more romantic this time. The roses weren’t quite as nice as he’d hoped, but there wasn’t much selection in Georgeville.
While he was paying for the flowers and postcard, the cashier tried to start a conversation about the weather. Wasn’t it dry? She hadn’t needed to cut the grass in weeks, and she feared she would need to start watering her hedge, or it might die, too. And her garden…
He said absolutely nothing to encourage her, of course. First of all, because he hated small talk. And second of all, because he had a woman to woo.
He penned a quick message to his mother at the post office and bought a stamp, and then he walked the two blocks home.
He knocked on Rachel’s door, but there was no answer. So he sat on the step, waiting until she came back. He would wait all night, if that was what it took.
Chapter Eighteen
Rachel threw on her running clothes and went up and down the McNeil Trail. However, that wasn’t enough to make the pain go away, so she ran up the trail again.
But nothing would be enough to make her forget about Cole.
She’d done more research on Toronto yesterday, but she’d done it all half-heartedly. Dreaming about moving away always made her feel better, but now that she’d decided to actually do it, some grumpy neighbor had decided to stake a claim on her heart.
Damn him.
Why couldn’t she have fallen in love after she moved away, after she’d started to get her life sorted out? Why did it have to be now? Why did it have to be someone from Georgeville?
She wanted to lean against a tree and cry. But she pushed herself to keep running.
She reached the end of the trail and turned around, trying to concentrate on what was around her. The light rustling of the leaves in the breeze. The distant chirps of birds. The gravel crunching under her feet.
Darrell’s father came into view, walking his dog, and she waved at him. Fortunately he wasn’t the sort to expect her to stop and talk about the weather for ten minutes.
She kept going, along the familiar trail she’d run so many times before. Would she miss this? A little. But there was a whole world to explore out there.
If only she could explore it with Cole.
Unfortunately, he was in Georgeville, and…
But did he need to stay here?
This wasn’t high school with its petty dramas. She should at least talk to him. Have an honest conversation. Tell him why she’d turned him down, what she wanted, and see what he said.
It seemed like too much to think she could have everything, but she could try.
And even if he wanted to stay in Georgeville, it might be worth it, if she got to be with him. They could still have great adventures together—like that threesome with Darrell. They could travel more than she had in the past.
She pictured being in Toronto without Cole. There would be so much to do, so many new things to try…but it wouldn’t be quite right without him there. He’d become such an important part of her life. She cared for him so much.
Rachel ran as fast as she’d ever run, like she was in the Olympics. She nearly knocked into Mrs. Johansson on Main Street, and she mumbled a quick apology and kept on going, turning onto King Street and hurrying home.
She was about to bang on Cole’s door when she looked around and realized he wasn’t home.
Because he was sitting on the steps in front of her door, a bouquet of flowers in his lap.
Her heart was already hammering in her chest from the run, but it sped up even more at the sight of him. He looked gorgeous in that blue polo shirt, his hair as unruly as always. He was frowning, but when he saw her, the co
rners of his mouth turned up.
“Hey,” he said.
She put her hands on her knees and bent over, recovering for a minute. Wishing she was wearing something other than sweaty running gear when a man was sitting on her doorstep with goddamn roses.
No one had ever given her roses before.
She took his hand and led him inside, and she set about trying to find something to put the flowers in. She didn’t have a vase. Empty wine bottles would have to do. She filled three of them with water and set them on the coffee table.
“I’m not the kind of girl who receives flowers,” she said.
“Then men are idiots.”
“Of course you would say something like that.”
“Well, it’s true.” He paused. “I’m not the kind of guy who buys flowers, except perhaps on Mother’s Day. I’m not the kind of guy who says mushy shit, ever, but…” He pulled her onto the couch with him. “I’m a cranky bastard who’s fallen in love with you, Rachel. I want to make this work, and I think I understand when you turned me down the other day. You worry I’ll hold you back from following your dreams, that I want to buy that house with the tall fences and put up a big Keep Out sign. But I don’t want to stay in Georgeville if you’re not here.”
He lifted her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her sweaty back, and she wasn’t self-conscious about the fact that she’d just gone for a run and was hardly in the proper state for a declaration of love.
“I have five months left on my lease,” he said. “We’ll use that time to get to know each other better, and I’ll prove to you that I’m not a complete asshole. Then we can move together, if that’s what we still both want. I’m pretty sure I won’t change my mind.”
This was really happening. She could have everything with him.
“You mean it?” she said, even though she knew he did. It was just… It seemed too good to be real.
“I don’t say shit I don’t mean.”
She chuckled.
“Though I would prefer not to move back to Toronto,” he said. “But I’m happy to move to Ottawa with you. Or Kingston, which isn’t a very large city, but it would still be a big change from Georgeville. What do you think?”
Tempting Her Neighbor (a Georgeville novella) Page 12
