by Donna Alward
“Of course it’s okay.” His heart was pounding against his ribs, from wanting her, from her acknowledgment of wanting him, too. “And fair or not, I want to kiss you, too.”
He put his other hand on her face so that she was cupped in his palms like a precious chalice. Then he leaned forward and kissed her. Her lips were cold but the inside of her mouth was soft and warm, and his body responded to the sweetness of the kiss.
Staying in the same room with her, in the same bed, would be torture. But one he was willing to undergo if it meant a few stolen kisses and the feel of her in his arms.
He ended the kiss and sat back on his heels, stunned by the sudden realization.
It wasn’t just wanting her. It was about intimacy, and connection, and something far more substantial than a night in a hotel room.
It scared him half to death, and for a moment he considered calling the pilot and going back today anyway.
And then he looked at her shining eyes and left his phone in his pocket.
After their walk, they took a shower—separately. Neither had a change of clothes, but there were plush robes in the closet and they put those on instead. Cole tried to ignore the soft aloe scent of her damp hair, freshly washed with the hotel-supplied toiletries, but he wasn’t having much luck. It seemed as if everything about her assaulted his senses. The fresh scent of her post-shower, her hair, darker when wet, and curling around her shoulders. If he touched her, it would be game over for him. The white robe, her skin, still pink from the hot water in the shower... If he touched her, would she make that little sound of pleasure like she had the night on the beach?
He busied himself with the menu again and they chose dinner items. He was pleased to see the inspired offerings on the dinner menu. Maple ginger salmon was paired with a sweet potato and bulgur dish as well as miso-roasted Brussels sprouts, and he ordered a bottle of Riesling to go with it. When dinner came, the wait staff set it up on the table in the seating area. Cole looked over at Brooklyn, who was watching the whole thing with wide eyes. He wondered if she’d ever had room service before today. If she had slipped into a hotel robe or enjoyed the finer things that she so obviously deserved.
He tipped the staff generously and then turned to Brooklyn. “Shall we?”
She giggled a little. “Oh, Cole! They saw us in our robes. Do you suppose they think that we...? Oh, my.”
He chuckled. “So what if they did? I’m pretty sure it’s not the first time. Come on, let’s eat. This smells incredible. Tori was right. This inn is a hidden gem. What a gorgeous place.”
She stepped forward then, and he lifted the dome off the plated meal. The colors, presentation, aroma...his stomach growled in response. Then he held her chair for her until she sat down. Just because they were in a hotel room didn’t mean he’d lost his manners.
“Tori used to work here, right?”
Cole took his seat. “Yes, that’s right. It’s how she and Jeremy met.”
Fork in hand, Brooklyn met his gaze. “I’d think your speed is more like...the Plaza. Or what’s the other one in New York? The Waldorf Astoria.”
She was so adorable. He wished he could take her there. Maybe he could. He had to go back to Manhattan soon; he couldn’t avoid the Abbott offices forever. What if she went with him for a taste of the Big Apple?
“You’ve never been to New York, have you?”
She shook her head. “I’ve never been much of anywhere.” She popped half of a sprout into her mouth and closed her eyes. “Oh, wow. I don’t even really like Brussels sprouts and this is delicious. Not bitter at all.”
He tried one, as well, and flavor exploded on his tongue. “You know,” he said, after he’d swallowed the bite, “I’m really no different in New York than I am here. Maybe more relaxed, I suppose, but the same person. I don’t go through a personality change.”
She nodded. “I’m glad to hear it. Still, this isn’t the life you’re used to.”
“Maybe it’s better.”
Where had that thought come from?
She laughed. “Do you really think so? It’s a different lifestyle here. Slower, yes, but don’t you miss, I don’t know, theater and restaurants and...whatever it is you usually do?”
“You mean work in my office until nine p.m.? Hate to break it to you, Brooklyn, but last night, playing cards and having a few drinks? I don’t remember when I last had that much fun.”
He lifted his glass. “So why don’t we toast? To simpler lives and happier times.”
She raised her glass and touched the rim to his, her eyes glowing in the mellow light from the nearby lamp. They each took a sip.
“And to Marvin,” she added.
He grinned. “Of course.” They drank again. “And to making the best of a bad situation,” he finished. “Because a private dinner for two is a heck of a nice way to spend the day after a hurricane.”
“Cole...”
“Eat,” he said softly. “Honestly, I don’t care if we watch a movie and raid the snacks in the minibar. I’m just happy to be spending the evening with you, Brooklyn.”
That much, at least, was 100 percent true.
* * *
Brooklyn savored each bite of the amazing dinner and every last drop of the Riesling. Now she was warm and full and, if she were honest, seriously reconsidering her words of the afternoon.
Cole looked so approachable in the robe that all she wanted to do was untie the belt at his hips and see what happened. She wasn’t brave enough, but it didn’t stop her body from being hyperaware of his. He was across the room right now and she was already imagining what it would feel like to have his skin against hers.
She wasn’t a virgin, but it had been a very long time, and truthfully she was starting to care for Cole—a lot. He would walk away one of these days and she knew the island would be lonely without him. If they were to indulge themselves—and it certainly would be nothing more than an indulgence—she wasn’t sure she could untangle her emotions from the act, and that would leave her not just lonely but potentially desolate.
But oh, the temptation was very, very real.
The awareness only intensified as they found a movie on TV and got into the bed to watch it. It was a legal drama, and Brooklyn found herself caught up in the story line. At one point Cole paused it and got up to get refreshments. There was a small bottle of prosecco that Brooklyn thought sounded nice, so he did the honors and popped the cork for her, then fixed himself a drink from the small bottles and mix. There were snacks, too—nuts and chips and chocolate. He brought an assortment over and put it on the bed between them, shot her a boyish grin and plopped back into the bed. The movie continued and Brooklyn stole glances at him, contentedly munching potato chips and sipping on whatever he’d mixed with his soda.
The prosecco fizzed lightly on her tongue, slightly sweet but not overpowering. The air in the room changed, however, when the main characters of the movie escaped danger and found themselves alone, full of adrenaline, and gratitude for being alive.
Cole shifted slightly on the bed, but Brooklyn couldn’t look over. She refilled her glass with the rest of the prosecco and tried to ignore her intense awareness of Cole at the moment, instead focusing on the screen. But that only made things worse. That Cole remained equally silent ratcheted the tension up another notch. Was he feeling it, too? That undeniable pull, made tighter by what was happening on screen?
She stole a glance at him and found him watching her. But he didn’t move, didn’t speak. He had said today on the beach that she was in control. At the time she’d thought it was control to say no, to keep things platonic. But now that word, control, took on a whole other meaning.
If she wanted something to happen, it could. And it could happen how she wanted it to. Everything was within her reach. All she had to do was reach out and grasp it.
She might not have another chanc
e. She’d set her life up as she wanted. Why couldn’t she have this one night to remember?
The scene switched, but Brooklyn reached for the remote and hit the mute button, sending the room into silence. Cole’s neck bobbed as he swallowed, but he didn’t move, didn’t shift his gaze. Her stomach was a tangle of anxiety and anticipation, but she took a breath and lifted her chin.
Control. Power. Maybe it was finally time to reclaim hers.
She shifted and knelt on the bed, then reached for the tie on Cole’s robe and tugged it gently. The knot fell away easily, and she reached down and opened the robe. Glory, he was beautiful, all lean muscle and definitely ready for her. Still he remained silent, as if speaking would break the tenuous spell.
Then she reached for the belt on her robe and undid it. Fear spiked... Long time, new man, lights on, and even a little body insecurity all played into her nervousness. But her need and longing overrode the sensation, and she let the robe gape open. Neither of them wore anything beneath the soft fabric, so they were not quite naked but were undressed all the same.
“Brooklyn,” he finally whispered. “I don’t... I can’t...”
She loved that he was struggling to put words together. He was normally so self-assured, knowing exactly what to say. The feminine power of the moment seeped into her, emboldening her. She moved forward until her knees were next to his thighs. Then she slid her right leg over his so that she was straddling him, their bodies close together but not joined. Everything in her was crying out for completion, but she’d be damned if she’d hurry.
Control.
“Touch me,” she said quietly, her voice roughened by desire. “Please, Cole. I’m dying for you to touch me.”
“Show me where,” he said, and she thrilled at taking the lead.
Brooklyn reached for his hand and guided it to her breast, loving the feel of his warm fingers against the sensitive skin. Her eyes closed for a moment as she absorbed the sensation, the tenderness of it, imprinting onto her memory the look of awe on his face as she’d opened her robe. She felt utterly beautiful and desirable, and free to take whatever she needed or wanted.
And what she wanted was what he wanted, wasn’t it? She reached down and touched him, heard the harsh hiss of his breath as he inhaled. She opened her eyes only to find his closed, his head back against the pillow, strain tightening his face. All because she was touching him. His hips nudged against her and there was a fleeting feeling that this couldn’t be real.
To prove she was wrong, she shifted and then settled, and they both stilled, struck by the magnitude of what she’d just done.
It was more than need. More than desire. It was...right. Like something clicked into place in that moment, key to lock. Her heart trembled as Cole’s eyes opened and found hers. “Brook,” he whispered, and tears stung the backs of her eyes.
She would not cry, even though this was the most beautiful moment she could ever remember.
Instead she started to move, dying to use this unexpected power to give him pleasure.
In the end the pleasure was mutual. Her robe slid off her shoulders and pooled at her hips. Skin grew slick and breaths quickened; he said her name and she called his in response. And yet they took their time and made it last, hovering on the edge of bliss as if they knew this was their one and only time. And when the final edges of their restraint frayed, any semblance of control was lost as they toppled into the unknown together.
CHAPTER TWELVE
THE ROOM WAS gray when Brooklyn woke the next morning. Last night they’d at least remembered to close the drapes to the room, and there was nothing but silence as her eyes adjusted to the dim light that entered through a sliver of window. Cole was asleep next to her, and neither of them was wearing a stitch of clothing. She’d slept naked with him...all night.
Now that day was dawning, reality poked its annoying head into the room. Today they would put on yesterday’s clothes, and pick up Marvin, and fly back to the island and home.
She didn’t want it to be over. Not yet. There was something so wildly wonderful about being in this bed with him, right now, away from both his world and hers, and in a world where it was just the two of them. She wanted to hang on to it a little longer, because that pesky reality kept wanting to have its say and she didn’t want to listen. She’d have to, but not quite yet.
She shifted and the sheets brushed over her sensitive skin. Cole’s lashes fluttered and she slipped her hand over his ribs, grazing the skin with her fingertips. “Mmm...” he murmured, eyes still closed. Her hand drifted lower and a smile teased the corner of his lips.
This time she let him have control, and she willingly surrendered to his desires. He didn’t speak and neither did she; they let their bodies do the talking. There wasn’t an inch of her now that he didn’t know, and the thought was both wonderful and overwhelming.
She wasn’t sure they could stay just neighbors after this. And wasn’t sure where that left them, either. Not together, but with this thing between them, always making it more.
Cole kissed her forehead and slid out of the bed to turn on the shower, and Brooklyn stared at the ceiling. This couldn’t happen again. Somehow they’d have to go back to being neighbors, wouldn’t they? And only through part of the year. Somehow she had to find a way to put them back on even terms where he could carry on with his life and she with hers...
Then again, maybe it wouldn’t be that hard for him. After all, he did admit that he’d played hard in years past, which translated to no serious relationships. There was no reason to think this would be anything different. Heck, even yesterday he’d said he avoided relationships because of his parents’ marriage. She was making a big something out of nothing. Or, as Gram would say, there was no need to borrow trouble until trouble borrowed you.
She waited for him to finish showering, then took her turn while he called Dave and set up a pick-up time for around noon. Instead of room service, they checked out and grabbed coffee and pastries at the inn coffee shop. Then it was off to the clinic in a taxi.
The clinic was back in business, which meant the waiting room was full of clients and dogs on leashes and cats in carriers. Brooklyn was suddenly nervous about Marvin, and taking him home. He’d had surgery, so was it really okay for him to be going home so early?
Dr. Thorpe popped out from the back of the clinic and beckoned for them to follow him through. There they found Marvin, moving slowly but with a steadily wagging tail and a happy-dog smile on his face.
“Hello, my boy.” She knelt down and he came over, nudging her shoulder with his wide head, begging for pats. She couldn’t stop the grin from spreading over her face, and she leaned back and caught his head in her hands. “Look, you crazy dog, don’t go eating random stuff and scaring us again, huh?”
He licked her face.
Her cheeks flared as she realized she’d said “us” instead of “me,” as if she and Cole were a couple.
Cole voiced the question that was on her mind. “Are you sure it’s okay for him to go home?”
Dr. Thorpe nodded as Brooklyn got to her feet. “We could keep him another night, but he’s doing well. I’ve got some medication for you to take with you, and a staff member will go over it with you, but he’s young and healthy. I don’t see any reason to expect complications. He needs to take it easy, though. For at least a week or two. No big runs on the beach. His stomach is bound to be touchy, too, so a bland diet is a good idea until he’s healed. Mostly he just needs love and rest at this point.”
“Love won’t be an issue,” Brooklyn assured him. She was fairly swamped with gratitude. “And I’ll keep him on leash until he’s good to go.”
“If anything happens, we can be here fairly quickly.” Cole spoke up, his voice quiet but with authority. “I’ve got to head back to New York in a few days, but my caretaker will be at the house and I’ll keep the pilot on standby.”
/>
Dr. Thorpe grinned. “First patient I’ve ever had with his own air ambulance.”
Brooklyn was still reeling from what Cole had just said. Not about the helicopter; at this point she was no longer surprised at his generosity. But he hadn’t mentioned a word about going to New York. Of course, she’d known it would happen eventually, but he must have known before...
She swallowed tightly. Before last night.
She didn’t feel duped, exactly, but there was no denying that if she’d known, she might have thought twice about sleeping with him. And there was definitely a niggle of doubt where he was concerned. Had he kept that little detail to himself because he suspected she would shut him down?
“Thank you so much, Dr. Thorpe.”
“No problem at all. Call if you have any concerns or questions, okay?”
She walked Marvin out to the waiting room and then got all the paperwork and instructions from the assistant at the desk. She also pulled out her credit card to pay the bill, but the invoice showed a balance of zero.
She looked up at Cole. “You paid my vet bill?”
“If you’re mad about it, we can talk. You can always pay me back.”
“I will.” She lifted her chin. He’d been a wonderful help, but he’d taken over a lot, too. She still had some pride. And that pride was stinging over his lack of disclosure. “Marvin’s my dog, and I’m responsible for him.”
“Okay, then.” He said it easily, maybe too easily. They left the clinic and got into the waiting cab. Brooklyn’s emotions were all over the place. She needed to pay her own way, but the vet bill and her half of the hotel bill would definitely take a chunk out of her small savings. But she didn’t want his help, either. Didn’t want their friendship to be predicated on whether or not he paid for things. Or...feeling constantly indebted.
This was the problem, wasn’t it? Before, they were just friendly, getting along as neighbors. Now it was different. In the beginning, she’d let him pay for the dock because legally she could have made it difficult for him to make changes. That was business. This was...well, if not pleasure, it was personal. It changed the dynamic between them and she didn’t like it.