Though he wasn’t giving her much of a choice.
And, man, she was really angry.
This was worse than he originally thought.
*
Once Cole reached the destination and parked his car on the side of the road, he turned to Dakota. “Well?”
She glanced at the sign and arrow pointing to a spot just beyond the road, hidden by tall shrubs. “You mean Wells, don’t you?”
He cracked the first smile of the night. “Yeah. Are you up to going to the Wishing Wells? Put our feet in the water?”
He could see a debate going on in her head. In his teenage years, it was something he and his friends would often do, leaving Day out. She’d been too young to bring here with boys having more serious things on their minds, like football and girls. Both of their mothers agreed that Day shouldn’t go along with the older boys. Day hadn’t taken it well. Nope. She’d have a hissy fit tantrum every time, telling her mom it wasn’t fair.
So now, here they were at the Wishing Wells, the one place Cole had never been with Dakota. It was a place where wishes were made. It was a place of healing, the mineral hot springs with supposed magical powers. Make a wish at the Wishing Wells and it would come true. Cole didn’t believe in any of that now, but it was fun to think it was so as a kid. To think the powers of the healing waters could also grant your wishes.
“Sometimes, Cole, you don’t play fair.”
It was a grudging statement, one that brought another smile to his face. But Day never saw his smile—she was already out of the car and heading over to the springs. Cole dashed out and stayed a few feet behind her, letting her lead the way. All her anger and attitude bustled in her stride, the curvy sway of her backside under a cool moonlit sky making his heart beat harder.
They reached the locked chain link gate and he had no doubt tomboy Dakota could manage the climb over, but not in that dress. She was weighing her options and contemplating.
“Let me?” he said.
And before she could deny him, he scooped her up and set her over the gate. It wasn’t difficult; Day weighed next to nothing, and he eased her down gently on the other side. She moved away from the gate quietly as Cole put a hand on the top of the fence and hopped over.
The springs bubbled and met with the November air in a fog of steam. The sauna-like surroundings created a cloud halo of warmth. Day was already there, taking off her high heels and making a place for herself on a flat rock. Her dress hiked up to her thighs, she dangled her feet into the water and swished them back and forth.
“How is it?” he asked.
“Like heaven.”
Cole didn’t waste a minute. He took off his shoes and socks and rolled up his pants. Taking a seat close by on that same rock, he put his feet into the springs and the heat startled him a second until he got used to it.
“You’re right. It’s just like I remember it.”
“Me too.”
Puzzled, Cole drew his brows together.
She spared him a glance. “My mom would take me here, to appease me when you refused.”
“I didn’t refuse. Our moms didn’t think it appropriate for you to come out with us late at night.”
“You wouldn’t let anything happen to me. You just didn’t want me along.”
“Maybe I was tired of protecting you, Day.”
He held his tongue after that. It could only get him into more trouble. He shouldn’t have admitted that to her. It would only piss her off more.
Instead of getting a tongue-lashing from her, she put her head down. “I never asked for your protection, Cole,” she said quietly. “Ever. You just can’t seem to stop yourself.”
Cole closed his eyes and nodded. Damn if she wasn’t right. “I know.”
“Why?”
“Old habits, I guess.”
“I don’t think that’s it,” she said in a hushed tone. “I had Trevor under control and then you showed up with your He-Man act.”
Both were gazing into the bubbly waters now, separated only by a thin cloud of steam.
“He shouldn’t have been pawing you like that.”
“What do you care, anyway? You know what? Never mind.”
She rose and her bare feet dripped water all over their stone seat. Was she ready to leave? Had he indeed pissed her off so much, she wanted to go home already?
But then he took a sideways glimpse of her standing beside him, as her pretty dress slinked down her legs and pooled in a silky jade heap on the stone beside him. “W-what are you doing?”
“Something I’ve always wanted to do. You can join me, watch or look away. I don’t care. But I’m going for a dip.”
And with that, Cole’s gaze fell on her near-naked body, encased only in what had to be a Barely There pair of cream-colored panties and lace bra. So creamy, so sheer, it basically hid nothing of the delicious body parts underneath. Under moonlight, Day stood there like a perfect sculpture of a woman, so beautiful, so proud, so damn sexy.
And before he could blink, she stepped into the hot springs and only turned to him once she was shoulder high in water. “Oh my, this is so luxurious.”
Her hands went behind her back, her shoulders moved and then her bra appeared, floating atop the water. She tossed it to the spot beside her dress.
Holy crap.
Cole was gaping at her now, watching her arch her back to dip her hair fully into the water. That move brought the tips of her breasts to the surface and he told himself to look away. But he wasn’t that big of a fool. Jack’s words pounded in his head.
You have STUPID written all over you. How long is Day going to wait around?
Hell, he knew he couldn’t look away. And watching her was killing him.
He stood then, and shed his jacket, shirt and unbuckled his belt.
“You coming?” she asked over the soft burble of the springs.
He winced at her choice of words.
Hell yeah, he was coming.
He didn’t have the strength to stop it.
This was really going to happen.
*
Day spun around and around, her eyes closed, the whirling pool of water caressing her skin. She loved everything about the Wells: the tradition, the myth, the fact that she was finally here with Colby Ryan. It was liberating to let the waters touch her, guide her, give her the peace and freedom she needed. She’d always dreamt of coming here in the dead of night, of sneaking in, with a man. But not just any man…Cole. Thrilling excitement warred with the surrounding solace she felt in the steamy bath.
And now, as she opened her eyes, Cole was in the water too, his body shed of most of his clothes. Moonlight touched upon his bare chest, the ripped cords punctuating the hard work he did on the ranch, his arms like two solid shields of armor. He approached her, his chest disappearing into the water up to his broad shoulders.
But she saw something else in Cole as he moved in on her, a look in his eyes devoid of his usual guardedness and closure. As if he was defeated. No, maybe not that. As if he was finally free too. Maybe that’s what she witnessed as he inched closer and closer.
“Feels good, doesn’t it?” she whispered.
Cole arched a brow. “Not yet.”
“No? To me, it’s just about as glorious as it can get.”
His hand wrapped around her waist from under the water. She gasped, surprised by the contact. And then she was cinched again, sandwiched now, between both of his large hands. They banded around her like a vice, and then he drew her close in one swift move and she was tugged against his hard hot body. “Now, it feels good.”
“Cole,” she sighed.
“This is what you want?” he rasped.
“Yes.” There was no hesitation. No shame. No denials.
“You’re the one not playing fair.” And then he dipped his head and kissed her long and rough and hard and when he was through, she felt thoroughly and completely ravaged. Lucky her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and swung b
ack a little to look into his dreamy eyes. “I like you reckless.”
The grin on his face surprised her and he smoothed his hands over her butt, squeezing and showing her just how reckless he was feeling below the waist. “You mean, like this?”
“Uh-huh. Exactly like that.”
Cole quieted her with another kiss as he moved her backward until she was at the water’s edge. The man of her dreams had trapped her there and he was sweeping her up with dire kisses. And then he was kissing her shoulders, his mouth planting kissing down to her bared breasts. His tongue swirled around the pebbled tips, making her moan and cry out.
“Day, you are so perfect it’s killing me.” His voice was muffled by the bubbling springs but she heard his whispers, his sweet talk and it was an elixir to her soul.
“Cole, I always knew it would be like this,” she returned in a plea, barely able to mouth the words.
Standing so close and straddling her legs, his erection pressed her delicate spots. She was dying inside, waiting, and anticipating the next thrill, her body so ready. Cole seemed to sense it and he held her with one arm, while his other arm trailed down her belly and his hand moved under the panties she forgot she still had on. Immediate want and need shot down to that region and when Cole cupped her between the legs, she gasped. The pressure of his hand was intoxicating, but when his finger moved over her, first one, then two, then three, stroking her back and forth, she was in a zone of bliss she’d never known before. “Oh…” she cooed.
Mounting pressure built and built and she could only cry out in the dark of night, knowing her sounds were nearly breathless, but so darn potent. A steady stream of tremors shook her to the core, her body spasms uncontrollable and Cole was there with her, his mouth gentling her cries, his body cradling her until she was fully and totally…done.
She stayed in his arms that way for long moments, her head upon his chest. “Make love to me, Cole. For real.”
A chuckle rumbled up from his chest. “That wasn’t real?”
“No, it was a dream.”
He shook his head, his palms coming up to tenderly hold her face. “Day, what am I going to do with you?”
“You know. Don’t you want that too?”
Again, he chuckled. “More than you know. But not here, sweetheart.”
The endearment crushed her heart. Cole had never spoken like that to her. “Where?”
“I’ll take you home.”
“You’ll back out.”
“I won’t.” His eyes again held a light of freedom, an unguarded promise. He took her in another earth-shattering kiss, his truth in the way he held her, the way his lips made demands and his body reacted. He wanted her. Joy bubbled up inside.
“Come on, let’s get dressed.” He led her to the edge of the springs and helped her out. Then he grabbed his shirt and began drying her body. It was so sweet, so intimate and so very Cole. Once dry, she put her dress back on, grabbed up her shoes and turned to find Cole dressing into his slacks. He threw his jacket over her shoulders to warm her and then carried her to the gate. “Ready?”
She nodded.
He lifted her up and over and placed her on the other side of the fence. Hopping over in one quick jump, he took her hand then and they began to walk away from this magical place.
“Just a sec,” she said. “I forgot something. I’ll be right back.”
It was silly, but she had to do it. She had to go back, just for a moment. Once she reached the fence, she stared at the Wishing Wells and whispered. “I wish every night with Cole can be this wonderful.”
Then she turned away and walked straight to Cole, taking his hand and setting her head on his shoulder as they made their way to the car.
*
Cole parked his car behind her old heap that had refused to start tonight. His wrist over the steering wheel, he turned to face her. All during the drive here, he’d held her hand and it was like they were a real I-could-get-used-to-this kind of couple. “Day,” he began.
Her pulse raced; her throat tightened. Fear engulfed her every fiber as she gave him her full attention.
“I’m sorry I’ve been such a jerk lately, but you know how much I care about you.” His brows fused together and he struggled with the words. “I just need you to know that I want to be with you tonight, but I can’t make you any guarantees—”
“I don’t need any guarantees, Cole. The only way you’d hurt me, is if you dropped me off and drove home. That would tear me up.”
“It would tear me up too.”
She gave him a big smile and he snaked his arm around her shoulder, drew her in and kissed her hard on the lips. She loved his confidence, the way he treated her, like a woman who could take anything he dished out.
When the kiss ended, he whispered, “Invite me in.”
“You’re invited.”
They were out of the car and inside her house within seconds. She pulled him down the hallway and into her moonlit bedroom. If romance could be ordered, this was the gold package. Cole wasted no time shedding his clothes and slipping her out of hers. Once naked, they stood facing each other in light and shadows, and the moment was committed to her memory for all of time. This was the moment she’d prayed for, the moment she would finally be his.
He was stark-naked beautiful in front of her, the planes of his body sculpted to perfection, his skin bronze from days in the sun. The upturned crook of his mouth displayed the dimple that had driven her crazy for years. He was hard and big, the tip of his manhood swollen. She took a deep swallow, hoping he hadn’t heard her noise, the gurgle at the back of her throat. Her pulse raced and her body began to tremble.
He took her hand, encased it in his big strong one and kissed each one of her knuckles. Then he lowered her down onto the bed and stared at her, the hot gleam in his eyes making her jittery, restless. “Day,” he said with reverence, and grazed her skin with the back of his hands. He touched her that way for long minutes, her legs, her thighs, her belly, the hollow between her breasts, as if savoring every second, as if trying to absorb her.
Then he joined her on the bed, coming up over her and brushing his lips to hers. Their tongues mated and his kisses became more demanding, more powerful. She loved this unbridled side of Cole, the way he took control, seemingly knowing what she wanted him to do. Knowing exactly how to make her melt.
The crawl of tension built rapidly with each delicious kiss, each groan rising up from his throat. She was in her own world, with Cole the center of her universe. She was hot, ready for him, her body giving her signals that brooked no further foreplay.
Again, he sensed her need, or maybe he was equally ready. “Just a second. Don’t move a pretty muscle,” he said. He left her for a few seconds and came back with a condom. Watching him sheath himself was heady stuff and moisture pooled between her legs. He touched her there and she nearly jerked off the bed. She was ready for him, every single ounce of her body ached to have him inside her.
He kissed her then, his mouth devouring hers, and then he climbed over her, nudging her legs further apart. She heard his breathing escalate, saw his body stiffen as the tip of his manhood eased inside of her. Tears of joy filled her eyes. It felt so good, so perfect. “More,” she whispered.
Cole ground his teeth together and groaned. “Like this,” he said. He grabbed her wrists, placed them over her head above the pillow and began to thrust into her. He filled her full, his power stretching her tight skin, making enough sensual contact to pull a soft pained moan from her mouth.
“Wait,” he said, stopping. Blinking, he stared down at her. He’d discovered her secret.
“I have waited. A long time, Cole.” For you. She didn’t say, but it had to be assumed at this point.
“But…you’ve never…”
She shook her head, not ashamed or embarrassed. “No.”
“Fuck.” The oath was spoken softly in amazement.
“Yes. Please.” She smiled. “Don’t stop.” She pulled his head down t
o her mouth and mated their tongues, her fiery kisses telling him this was what she wanted. More than anything.
Cole began to move again. He was more cautious now, going slower, taking his time, trying not to hurt her. Nothing he could do now would ever hurt her. She’d been ready for this for years. And the imagining of it didn’t compare to the reality.
She ran her hands through his hair, caressed his shoulders, molded her palms over his back and then lower to his butt. He was firm and toned all over, so exquisite and so powerful.
Her touch pleased him and he moved faster, deeper. The bed rocked and rolled and she was in orbit, propelled by the gorgeous man making love to her. Her hips arched and he lifted them even higher, holding her from behind. The momentum built and built. Hot sensations ripped through her, the friction, the tension, all whirling out of control.
“Day, sweetheart,” he breathed through tight lips.
It was enough to topple her over the edge.
He fell too, at the same time.
Their joining was incredible and all sorts of wondrous things were happening to her body, the earth-shattering release, the immediate ebb of her sated body, the sensation of being thoroughly and completely satisfied. Tears she’d held back, sprung from her eyes.
“Ah damn,” Cole said, breaking their connection and rolling off of her. “You’re crying.”
His face lost all color—he was beating himself up and all she could do was smile. “No silly,” she said, using her fingers to wipe away her tears. “They’re the good kind of tears, Cole. Everything was…just perfect,” she said breathless.
He lifted up to look at her, to see the confirmation of her words. He thumbed a stray tear from her cheeks. “You were a… I was your first?”
And only. “Yes.”
He squeezed his eyes closed. “And you’re okay. I mean, I didn’t hurt you or anything?”
“No, do I look like I’m hurt?” She had to be glowing. She felt the heat under her cheeks, the blush of color that came from good things.
He swallowed hard and shook his head, giving her nakedness a thorough going over. “No, you look…”
“What?” she asked. Cole wasn’t too good at hiding his feelings tonight. She, on the other hand, could barely restrain the giant grin that wanted to eat up her face. “Tell me.”
Redeeming the Texas Rancher Page 9
