by Linda Style
“Is there a shower in this bunk room?”
“Go check it out if you want.”
She glanced at the key in her hand, then, and back at Cole.
“I’ll be up in a few minutes. Leave the door open for me.”
Serena gulped. The two of them spending the night in the same room was like putting a steak in front of a hungry lion. At least from her perspective.
“The staircase is on the outside of the building,” Cole said as she went out the door.
She walked across the street and found the rustic wooden stairs, and as she ascended, she heard faint music playing somewhere in the background. Other than that, the night was silent. There were no city sounds—no engines, airplanes, buses, highways or congestion. No nightclubs or theaters. Just the natural sounds of night—and the creak of each step as she tested it on her way up.
The small town was probably like Spirit Creek before people started moving back into the old homes built during the mining boom. She liked the feel of the place, the steadiness. Here, as in Spirit Creek, things stayed the same. People stayed the same. Despite their flaws, you always knew where you stood.
Moving back to Spirit Creek had given her a sense of security she’d never felt. But more important, she felt a sense of belonging. The town didn’t offer much excitement, but that was a small price to pay for the emotional comforts that living there provided.
She opened the door and groped the wall for a light switch. When she hit it, a light that resembled an old lantern popped on in one corner. The room was large, with six cots lining one wall. A wooden table and four chairs sat in the middle of the room, and a sagging couch squatted on the opposite wall.
She found the bathroom and was filled with immediate relief when she saw the shower, primitive as it was. Within seconds she’d undressed and gotten inside. The warm water felt like a healing balm washing over her whole body, and she stayed there long after she’d finished washing. She was lost in the soothing sensation when she heard Cole’s voice.
“Yo! Anyone here?”
She shut off the faucet, wrapped a towel around her head and toweled her arms and face. As she came out, Cole shoved a bundle of things into her hands. “Here, pick something out. Some T-shirts and stuff. Nothing fancy, but they’re clean. There’s a toothbrush in the bag for you, too.”
“Thanks,” she said and, still wrapped in the towel, started sorting through the bag. She could feel his eyes on her and, oddly, she wondered if he’d think her body had changed much in the years since he’d seen her without clothing.
“I called my mother,” Cole said. “I’ll call Sam in the morning to make sure he’s doing okay.” Ambling over, he pulled off the dirty shirt he was wearing. Then he picked a black T-shirt from the pile and headed for the bathroom.
And as he walked away, she couldn’t help watching the play of muscles in his back, his narrow waist. She’d touched those muscles when he’d kissed her, felt the hard sinew flex as he held her in his arms. He was the same person she’d known so many years ago, yet he wasn’t. He was a man, instead of a boy. He wasn’t a stranger, yet he was.
When she heard water running, a vision of Cole standing naked under the warm water flashed in her head—Cole soaping his body into a slippery lather…then lathering her naked body. As she let her imagination wander, her stomach tightened with desire. Oh, man. She stopped the fantasy, then quickly picked out a navy blue T-shirt and a pair of cargo pants, both of which advertised the Miner’s Gulch General Store. She put them on but couldn’t bring herself to don her sweaty underwear, which she could wash tonight and have fresh for morning.
Oh, yes. She felt so much better she hugged herself. She crossed the room to the window, opened it and breathed in the tangy scent of high-desert air, an earthy mixture of sage and mesquite. Standing there, she chastised herself for thinking about Cole when she should be worrying about Ryan.
She drew a long breath. What if Ryan showed up at home and she wasn’t there? She chewed on her bottom lip, wondering if she’d made the right choice to go on her gut feeling. It had been the most compelling one she’d had. Otherwise she might be at home waiting by the phone for Ryan to call.
After dropping onto the chair next to the window, she towel-dried her hair, and then finger-combed it to let it air-dry. When she reflected, she knew why Ryan hadn’t mentioned the loan from Bella. It would be one more time he’d disappointed her. Her brother might not be the most dependable person in the world, but she knew he felt worse than anyone when he messed up time after time. She couldn’t give up on him. She could never give up on him, she realized. No matter what he did.
When Cole emerged from the shower, his hair was wet and combed straight back. His beard had gone more than a tad past the five-o’clock-shadow stage, making him appear more like an outlaw than Indiana Jones. But definitely the sexiest outlaw ever.
The black T-shirt molded to his chest, its short sleeves showing off his muscular biceps. What a dramatic contrast between him and her. When they walked down the stairs and into the saloon, she felt like a pair of birds, where the male was colorful and showy and the female drab and plain.
They went around the building to the entry. Above the door, Last Chance Saloon was printed in lopsided lettering. The place was empty except for a lone woman behind the bar. “This is Serena Matlock,” Cole said to the woman, who looked a little like Barbra Streisand. “And this is Margo, Michael’s partner.”
Margo smiled. “Nice to meet you.”
“They practically run this town,” Cole said as he led Serena toward a booth on the other side of the room. When they sat, Margo came over to take their orders. The menu was limited. Serena ordered a cheeseburger and fries, while Cole ordered a chicken chimichanga platter, and when Cole ordered a beer, Serena did, too.
Once Margo left, Cole studied Serena’s face with interest. “I didn’t think you liked beer.”
“I didn’t. But…people change.”
After Margo brought two frosty beers and a couple of Mason jars, Cole reached over and poured beer down the inside of Serena’s glass, then set it before her. He said, “That’s right. People do change.”
He leaned back in the booth, tipped his bottle to his lips and took a swig. His Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed. His tongue slid across his moist lips.
“So, are you still in touch with Brett?”
Well, that had come out of nowhere. She lifted her glass and sipped, avoiding his penetrating gaze. “Nope.” And she hoped that would be the end of that conversation.
Cole was quiet for a moment, continued to study her. “How long were you married?”
Her pulse jumped. “Not long. We knew right away it was a mistake. We stayed friends, but once he got married again, that pretty much ended, too. And after his mom died he never returned to Spirit Creek.” She shrugged. “Sometimes you just have to put the past to rest.” Just as she hoped he’d put this line of conversation to rest.
He picked at the label on his bottle of beer. “Maybe. But sometimes that’s impossible to do it if issues haven’t been resolved.”
She knew exactly what he was alluding to. And maybe he was right. Maybe if they got it all out, she’d be able to forget it.
He moistened his lips again. “Why didn’t you tell me the real reason you broke off with me?”
Her heart stopped. She couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t know, could he? “The real reason?”
His lips thinned as he wrapped both hands around the neck of the beer bottle; then his mouth quirked up on one side, as though he was trying to smile but couldn’t. “Yeah. Why didn’t you just tell me you were seeing someone else? If you had, I wouldn’t have wasted my time writing all those letters. I wouldn’t have kept waiting and hoping. I wouldn’t have kept waiting for someone to bring me a letter, or tell me I had a visitor.”
Oh, God. Was that what he’d thought? “I—I don’t know where you got that information, but it’s totally untrue. Why would you think that?”
He straightened. “Why wouldn’t I? You got married practically before they locked my cell door.”
She closed her eyes for a second, tried to calm the nerves rioting inside. “It wasn’t soon.” She quickly counted—she’d been nearly four months along when she last saw Cole, and she’d married Brett three months after giving birth. “It was eight months later, but the last time I saw you, I told you exactly how I felt.” Her heart thumped so hard she couldn’t stand it. “I told you it was over. But all that was years ago, Cole. We were kids who didn’t know anything about anything. At least I didn’t. And if I didn’t handle everything just right, I’m sorry.” She drew a breath. “We have to go on. I’ve made an effort to do that. But most important, it wasn’t about you and me as much as it was about all the other stuff.”
Cole looked as if he was about to say something, when Margo brought their food.
A dark silence hung between them, but then Cole said, “Sorry. You’re right. Your marriage is none of my business.” His eyes met hers, and he coughed to clear his throat. “Despite how everything ended, I hope he was good to you.”
Seeing the hurt in Cole’s eyes, she felt as if she’d betrayed him. And she hadn’t. He’d been the one to do that. But she’d wasted enough time on all that. It was over. “He was. He was a good man.”
Cole nodded, as if that somehow closed the book on the past. They ate dinner in near silence. Cole finished first, then sat quietly observing her while she finished her meal. For some reason, she started to feel more relaxed, as if they’d reached an understanding. She sensed he felt the same. It was almost as though getting out all the hard feelings had freed them to be normal again.
After Serena was done, Cole asked Margo if they could put the meal on the tab for the room, and then they went upstairs.
“Not bad for a bunk room that held forty to fifty miners at a crack, is it?” Cole said. “Go ahead. Take your pick.”
Serena immediately went to the bunk farthest from Cole and she suddenly felt exhaustion creeping through every muscle in her body. “Do you need to use the bathroom?” she asked. “I might be a while.”
“I’ll wait,” Cole said, then went to the bed nearest the window.
When Serena had finished, Cole did likewise, then went directly to bed. Three hours later, she was still awake. The room was too warm, and she had to kick off her covers. Even though she was more physically and emotionally exhausted than she’d been in a long time, her mind continued to spin. That she could see him outlined in shadow from the moonlight slanting through the front window didn’t help. He slept bare chested atop the blanket, in a pair of souvenir jogging shorts like hers, and though his eyes were shut, she wondered if he was really asleep.
She thrashed around on the bed, rearranging the sheet so her feet stuck out but the rest of her was covered. A wooden fan clacked rhythmically overhead, but even so, she could hear Cole’s every breath, and the rustle of his sheet when he moved even the slightest.
“Better get some sleep,” he said softly.
When she heard his deep, sleepy voice, her heart did a ka-thump. She waited a moment then said, “I’m too worried to sleep.” She waited another moment, then added, “How come you’re awake?”
“I’m wondering what it would be like to kiss you again.”
Longing filled her once more. How many times had she thought about kissing him? How many times had she thought about making love with him again? “You’re right,” she said. “We both should get some sleep.”
A half hour later, she got up, walked across the room and slipped into bed next to Cole. He took her into his arms.
“Hi,” he said softly.
“Hi.”
He linked his fingers with hers and rubbed his thumb down her arm.
“I’ve thought about you so many times over the years,” he said. “Thought about the accident and what I should have done so things wouldn’t have ended the way they did. But I’ve never been able to come up with anything.”
“Shh.” She placed a finger over his lips. “I’ve thought about you, too.” More than she wanted to admit. Even to herself.
The moment their lips met, Serena knew exactly what Cole had meant when he’d said they had unfinished business. He was referring to the need to put finality to years of indecision about where they stood with each other. Sex might not be the answer, but yearning for the closeness they’d once shared, she was more than willing to find out.
She savored the taste of his mouth, the silky texture of his skin just inside his bottom lip. She reveled in his touch, his fingers moving slowly, teasing every sensitive nerve in her body. His touch as a teenager had been tentative and urgent, as opposed to sure and slow, which it was now. Everything was the same…yet nothing was the same at all.
When he stroked her stomach, she remembered the child she’d carried. His child. And for one crazy moment, she thought it could happen again. Maybe there was a chance for them, a chance to live the life that had been snatched away. The possibility brought reality to the fore. “Cole,” she whispered.
“Uh-huh.” His lips kept moving down her neck to her breasts and her stomach.
She could barely get out the words. “Protection.”
He stopped, but just for a second. “We’re covered,” he said, then reached down for his backpack. “I grabbed Sam’s backpack by mistake, and guess what I found in it.” He rustled around a bit and brought up a silver packet.
“Thank you, Sam,” she said. Then took the packet from Cole’s hand and ripped it open.
“No, wait. I’m not ready for that.” He nuzzled her neck.
“I beg to differ. You’re more than ready.”
“But you aren’t. I want to make you scream.”
She laughed. “You haven’t changed.” She slid the packet under the pillow and climbed on top of him. “And I haven’t, either.”
COLE WAS IN SERIOUS trouble. He shouldn’t be here, lying in bed ready to make love with a woman who had the ability to shred his heart. But he couldn’t think of anyplace he’d rather be. Shredded heart or not. And when he looked into those tawny eyes, searching for something that said she felt the same as he did, something that told him he wouldn’t regret this for the rest of his life, she answered him with her lips.
Her skin was soft and damp, warm and sleek, and the little sounds low in her throat urged him on. He kissed her neck and the tender spot at the base of her throat while he ran his hands over her perfect little breasts and the curve of her smooth narrow hips. He reached up and slipped off the T-shirt she was wearing and pulled back to look at her—so perfect in the moonlight. He leaned forward and brushed his lips across the creamy smoothness of her breasts, trailing his tongue to the very tips of her baby-pink nipples.
She gasped, then ran her fingers over the muscles in his back, as if feeling every sinew, and suddenly their hands were flying, as though in a hurry to touch each and every inch of skin before the moment could get away. With her naked body pressed against his, he couldn’t think of anything except getting as close to her, in every way, as he could.
They tumbled around, caught in a whirlwind of sensation. Every place she touched him burned with desire, and every place he touched her made him want her even more.
Then he realized that he didn’t just want her—he needed her. Needed her in a way he’d never needed anyone.
She pulled him closer and wrapped her legs around him as though urging him to hurry and get on with it. But he didn’t want that. He wanted to go on forever; he wanted to bring her to the brink, hear her call his name. He wanted her to want him as much as he wanted her.
Her face glowed in the moonlight and, looking at her, he realized that from the moment he’d returned to Spirit Creek and seen her outside the café, he’d known this moment was as inevitable as the sunrise. He pulled her closer still, nuzzling her neck and her ear, kissing her eyes and her nose and her chin and everything he could before their lips met once again.
She
snuggled against him, quietly touching and teasing, her hips moving rhythmically against him, her tongue tracing a hot path around the circle of his ear. Then she laughed, a throaty sexy laugh, as she brought one hand down to touch him…and nearly sent him over the edge. Somehow they managed to get out the packet and in the next instant he was inside her. She was firebrand-hot and slick with desire. He covered her mouth with his in a long, deep and sensuous kiss, his tongue keeping the same rhythm as their bodies.
He thrust slowly at first, not wanting to hurt her in any way, yet wanting with all his heart to make it as wonderful for her as he possibly could. But she raised her hips to him, moving faster and faster, and the pressure inside him continued to build until he thought he’d burst.
But he wasn’t about to let go before—All of a sudden, she moaned with an urgency he recognized, and he let himself go, giving himself up to the hot physical sensations that exploded inside him, satisfied in knowing she’d been there with him every step of the way.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
SERENA AWAKENED TO find Cole gone, and for one fraction of a second, panic seized her, the same horrible feeling she’d had as a little girl when her parents disappeared. But then, a slow smile emerged as she remembered last night—the most amazing, incredible night ever.
She stretched out and closed her eyes again, imagining the tender, loving way Cole had run his fingers across her bare shoulders and down her spine, gently stopping along each vertebra. He’d learned a lot since they were teenagers experimenting with an all-consuming passion. Cole’s sureness and certainty excited her in ways she couldn’t have imagined. Instead of teenage infatuation and lust, she’d been emotionally and physically engaged, body and soul.
But as much as she wanted to stay in bed and dream about Cole, she couldn’t. She had to find Ryan before he got himself in even worse trouble. The thought of Ryan tamped down her optimism. To consider the lovemaking anything more than an interlude was presumptuous. Most likely, Cole hadn’t thought twice about it. They’d had unfinished business, he’d said. So now they were done. Finished. And her only concern had to be finding her brother.
