by Jill Sanders
“What?” He frowned over at her.
“Long story.” She sighed. “My brother married as well. Kristen and he have a son now, Camden Eric Scott.” She smiled.
“My mother filled me in on that part.”
She turned to him. “Your… you’ve talked to your mother?”
“Sure. I’m not completely insane. She’d kill me if I didn’t call at least once a month.”
The anger was back, and Ashley crossed her arms over her chest as she stewed.
“What?” he said finally.
She glared at him. “You can call your mother, but the woman you’ve know almost as long as your mother, the one you slept with in Paris, you can’t even send me a text in seven months?”
He reached for her hand, but she jerked it away.
“Ash, listen, I…”
She shook her head quickly. “Don’t even try to explain.”
They were just about to come out of the mountains when he found a spot and pulled over just outside of Golden. He parked on the edge of the road. The view of Golden and the Colorado plains beyond spread before them. He turned off the car and shifted until he could look at her.
“There’s a lot I can’t…” He took a deep breath. “If I could, you’d be the first one I talked to. But every time I picked up the phone to call you…” He shook his head. “I didn’t want to have to lie to you.”
“So, you lie to your parents?” she asked.
“All the time.” He smiled. “You’ve known that about me for years.”
She leaned back, her eyes running over him. “You look tired.”
“I just got back about three hours ago.” He rested his head back. “What I’d like is to clock out for the next forty hours or so.”
She glanced at her watch and hissed. “I should have been at the reception fifteen minutes ago.”
His eyes opened, and he turned on the car again, but before he put the car in gear, he leaned over, cupped her face, and kissed her until her toes became numb.
He smiled over at her. “I’ve dreamed of doing that for the past seven months.”
* * *
Cole sipped his Coke and watched the crowded ballroom. After two and a half years of always watching his back, he was having a hard time shutting security mode off. He’d removed his jacket, but he hadn’t left his house unprotected. His knife and gun were tucked close to his body at all times.
Even with the buzzing in his head from the lack of sleep, he knew all the exits and potential targets.
Which was funny, considering the place was packed with family, friends, and movie stars. He was a little on edge since the fiasco in Paris and the one last week in Madrid.
He hated lying to Ashley, but the locations he’d been were top secret. He’d rattled off places he’d been in the past two years, not in the past seven months. The consequences if she let something slip were too great.
He watched Tom and Amber dance and couldn’t help but wonder if he would be married by now if he’d stayed in Golden. His eyes scanned the crowd, and he found Ashley talking to a tall dark-haired man. The guy looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t come up with a name.
When the man reached out and touched Ashley’s arm, Cole was up and halfway across the room before he realized it. By the time he stopped just behind Ashley, the man’s hand had traveled to the lower part of her back and was still traveling lower.
“…for old times’ sake.” Cole heard the last part of the man’s sentence.
When he stopped behind Ashley, the man’s eyes moved up and landed on him. Instantly, the guys hand stilled his downward motion.
“As I told you…” Ashley turned and glared at him. “I appreciate the offer.” She finished. “But I have to make my rounds.” She pushed herself free and grabbed his arm. He let her tug him across the room. They didn’t stop until they stepped out onto the stone balcony overlooking a creek.
Boettcher Mansion is where their school held most of their proms. It was the best place to host a large party in Golden. He’d spent a lot of nights hanging out with a date on this balcony.
Taking control, he pulled her further down the pathway that led away from the noisy party.
He didn’t stop until the sounds and lights faded away.
“Cole.” She tugged on his arm. “I’m wearing ten-inch heels, here.”
He glanced down and realized that she had the long skirt of her dress bunched up in her free hand. It was the first time he’d gotten a good look at her feet, and he winced at the high heels she wore. They were sexy as hell, but they weren’t made for walking through the woods at night.
“Ten inches?” She gasped when he picked her up and carried her the rest of the way to the massive rock he knew so well. Since he didn’t want to ruin her dress, he sat down on it, holding her in his lap.
“Let me go.” She struggled to get out of his hold, which caused her body to rub up against his. The fact that the top layer of her dress was basically see-through and light as a feather had caused him some discomfort most of the ceremony and reception.
He could just imagine the sexy things she wore underneath. His arms tightened on her.
“I like you right where you are,” he said, leaning in and placing his lips on the crook of her neck, where her hair exposed her soft skin.
She stilled in his arms, so he continued the path down her neck with his lips. “Mmm, you taste like honey,” he said next to her skin.
“Cole,” she whispered. Her hands had gone from pushing his shoulders away to gripping them and pulling him closer.
“I’ve missed this, you, so much.” His tongue found the edge of the silk dress and he dipped below it for a taste. She arched back, a low moan escaping her lips as he gently tugged the material down further.
When he took her nipple into his mouth, it was his turn to moan with pleasure. Her nails dug into his shirt, then slowly traveled down his arms. When she tried to tug his shirt open, he chuckled. “Not the time or place to get me naked, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy myself a little more.”
His hand traveled up her leg, nudging the long skirt up until he found silk underneath. Pushing it aside, he slowly drove his finger into her heat and covered her cries with a kiss.
She shifted slightly on his lap, giving him better access to her. He gave her everything she wanted as their mouths dueled. When he felt her tighten around his fingers, he groaned, wishing he could take here then and there.
Instead, he slowly allowed her to drift back as he righted her skirts and dress.
“Why did you do that?” she asked, crawling out of his lap. She bent down to remove her shoes.
He chuckled. “Why?” He shook his head, standing up to help her remove her last shoe.
She pushed him away, and glared at him. “Yes,”
“You know why,” he said softly. “I’ve missed you.” He moved closer to her, but she shoved him again.
“Did you ever stop to think of what I wanted?” she asked, crawling up to the edge of the flat rock.
“You’re going to hurt your feet,” he suggested, reaching for her again.
“I’m fine,” she said under her breath. “Well?”
“I think there was plenty of proof that you liked what I did.” He smiled, remembering the sounds and the feeling of her release.
“So, is that it, then?” she asked, her hands going to her hips.
“What?” He frowned, thinking she was trying to call it quits before he’d even gotten started.
“It’s just sex between us.”
“The hell it is,” he growled out, moving closer to her. This time, he didn’t let her push him away. He gripped her hips, pulling her closer to him.
“Then what?” she asked. “What do you expect me to do when you disappear for another seven months or another year and a half?” She pushed on his shoulders again and he took a step back.
He was silent as she jumped down from the rock. He didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t thought th
at far in advance. The only thing that he was certain of was that he wanted to be with her, every chance he got, for as long as he could.
“Ash,” he said, but she took off towards the party again.
“No.” She turned towards him. “I don’t think I can do this again.”
He could see tears building behind her eyes, and it broke his heart. He let her go, watched her until he was sure she was safely back inside. Then he snuck back in, grabbed his jacket, said his goodbyes to Amber and Tom, and left.
He’d thought he’d made a clean break, but when he stepped outside, Aiden was leaning against the Vette.
“Heading out so soon?” Ashley’s big brother had his arms crossed over his chest, and Cole knew he wasn’t going to get away scot-free.
“Yeah.” He stopped directly in front of the man. He glanced back over his shoulder. “Looks like your sister’s had enough of me for today.”
“I know about Paris,” Aiden said as he moved. Cole braced for a hit, but Aiden slung his arm over his shoulder. “My sisters never stop talking.” He rolled his eyes. “So, just wanted to let you know, that I know… things.” His eyes narrowed.
“You play the creepy older brother perfectly,” he joked. He’d known Aiden his entire life. Not once had the guy ever made a move towards him, even when he’d found him in Ashley’s room one time early in the morning. Of course, it had all been innocent back then. He’d snuck in that morning so he could help her finish her book report. Still… he’d been cool about it.
“You don’t even know the half of it.” Aiden tightened his hold on him. Cole could have easily gotten out of the hold using more than a dozen moves he knew well, but, out of respect, he held still. “I also watched as she pined away waiting for a call from you.”
“I’m not—” He stopped when Aiden narrowed his gaze at him.
“If you’re going to disappear again, hop in your daddy’s car and go. We’ll help her pick herself back up after you’re gone, but if you stay…” Aiden quickly dropped his hold on Cole and stepped away. “I won’t be so friendly next time you come back. I don’t give a shit how bad ass your job or your life is. I can probably still kick your butt.”
Cole chuckled as Aiden started walking away. “She wants nothing to do with me,” he called after him.
“Sounds like you need to show her your intentions.”
“How?” he called after him again.
Aiden stopped and looked back at him. “Remember that old house on Fuller?”
He thought about it. “Yeah.” Ashley had sighed over that house every time they had walked by it.
Aiden smiled. “She moved in a few days ago. I’m sure you’ll think of something.” With that, he walked back into the event.
7
Ashley cried herself to sleep that night, like she’d done plenty of other times over the past seven months.
This time, however, her tears were rawer. Her body still vibrated from what he’d done to her, and her mind kept filling with what she wanted him to do to her.
Watching her sister and Tom leave for their honeymoon had been the second hardest moment of the day. She was thankful that her parents hadn’t brought Cole up as they drove her to her new home just outside of Golden.
She had watched him leave the reception and fought herself about going after him. She couldn’t do Paris over again. It had taken her weeks to stop looking for him to walk down her stairs. The heartbreak had sunk in when her phone hadn’t rung.
She kept telling herself that she should have pushed him further to get his number.
She woke up the next morning to a grey sky after only three hours of sleep. Her head was dull, and her eyes were still red from her tears.
She lay in bed for a short while, then climbed into a hot shower until her body felt better.
As she stepped out of the steaming shower, she frowned as she smelled bacon cooking. Wrapping her robe around her, she grabbed her cell phone and the baseball bat she kept under her bed.
Tiptoeing down the stairs, she stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed Cole standing at her stove, flipping bacon.
“I probably deserve to be hit over the head with that, but seeing as I cooked, maybe you can forgive me for breaking in?” He turned and smiled at her.
Her eyes narrowed at him. “You son of…”
“Ash, come on, give me another chance.” He held out his hands, then tilted his head slightly. She was a sucker for the look he was giving her. Turning off the gas, he walked over to her. Gently wrapping his fingers around her wrist, he nudged the bat out of her hands and set it down by the fridge before dishing up two plates.
“I like your place,” he said, as he worked.
She’d fallen in love with the old house years ago, when she used to walk by it on her way to the local art supply store. It was a historic home that just needed a lot of elbow grease and love.
She’d bought the fixer upper with the money from her paintings. She was slowly making progress on the place and had hired a few workers to do the bigger things she couldn’t tackle herself. The electric in the kitchen had been first on the list, since sparks had flown from the socket when she’d plugged in her toaster the first morning.
She’d been in the home less than a week, which meant there were still boxes piled in every room. Including the kitchen. Three stories of pure delight. One of the first things she’d done was turn the large loft area on the third floor into her studio. After that, well, she’d pulled things out of boxes as she’d needed them.
She didn’t know where he’d found her dishes, since she hadn’t unpacked them herself yet.
“Make yourself at home,” she said sarcastically.
He set the plates down on the bar area and gave her a smile. “Already did.”
“Why are you here?” she asked, not moving from her spot, even after he motioned for her to sit down.
Instead of answering, he walked over, took her hips, and nudged her forward.
“Eat, then we can talk.” He gently pushed her onto the stool.
“Promise?”
He nodded in reply, and when she felt her stomach growling, she picked up her fork. He sat next to her and for the next few minutes, ate in silence.
“I’ve missed this,” he said once his plate was empty.
“What? Breaking into my home? Scaring me?”
He glanced over at her. “Sitting down, having a meal with you.”
“I would have gladly planned something, had you called.” She pushed her half-empty plate away, then turned towards him.
His smile had fallen away. “Why don’t you go get dressed. I’ll clean up, then we’ll talk.”
Her eyes narrowed at him, running over his face, searching. Seeing he was telling the truth, she left the room.
When she returned, she noticed that he’d not only done the dishes but had emptied a few boxes while he’d been at it.
“I figured you would never get around to this,” he joked. “I remember when your folks moved, it took you almost a year to unpack your room.”
She sat back down on the barstool. He was right, she hated unpacking. “Thanks. I planned on spending today organizing everything.”
He chuckled. “Until an empty canvas calls you.”
The fact that, once again, he was right, slightly irritated her.
“So,” she said, watching him stack her dishes one by one in a cupboard.
“So.” He leaned against the countertop. “I’ve been giving some thought to what I want.”
“And what is it you want?” she asked, when he didn’t continue.
His eyes moved to her and she felt her skin heat. “Change.” He moved slowly towards her. “I liked how things were in Paris.” He stopped directly in front of her.
“What happened?” she asked, feeling a little breathless.
“I’d forgotten… things.” His hands went to her shoulders.
“What kind of things?”
“How much I missed talking to
you, being around you. How it felt to trust someone.” He shook his head.
“What have you been doing since you left?” she asked, suddenly needing to know.
“I had some down time.” He sighed heavily. “Then it was back to the same ol’ routine.”
“Which is?” she asked.
“Travel, looking over my shoulder, creating new trust issues.” His eyes scanned the small space of her kitchen, which was lined with boxes.
“Cole, are you wanting things to change?”
“Yes.” It came out as a gust of breath from him.
“Then you have to start by trusting me, again.” She laid a hand on his. Seeing he was feeling a little trapped, she asked out of the blue, “How about a hike?”
* * *
Cole stood on top of North Table Mountain overlooking Denver and for the first time since he’d left home, felt completely safe.
They were the only people up there and his line of sight went on for miles. He felt his shoulders relax.
When he looked over at Ashley, she was smiling up at him.
“What?” he asked, frowning slightly.
“There you are,” she said, walking slowly towards him. She wrapped her arms around him and leaned up to kiss him. “You’re back.”
He chuckled. “Yes, you found that out yesterday.”
“No.” She shook her head, leaning slightly back so she could look up at him. “You may have been physically present, but”—she tapped his chest, then his head—“you weren’t yourself.”
“Okay, did you hit your head on the way up here?” He glanced back at the steep trail leading to the top.
She laughed. “No. Cole, you’re always so… on guard.” She motioned for him to follow her to a large flat rock so they could sit down and enjoy the view. He followed her and sat. “I suppose it’s hard being a spy.” She glanced over at him.
“I’m not a…” He could tell she was half joking. Taking her hand in his, he glanced around once more to make sure they were alone. “I’m a Criminal Investigator Special Agent.” She rolled her eyes. “I catch thieves.”
She smiled. “I knew it.” She kicked her feet playfully in the dust like she was doing a little dance.
