Finally, after putting off the inevitable for far too long, Sierra climbed out of her car and headed up the walkway toward the house. Just as she reached the front door, a male voice called her name, and she turned in time to see Cole strolling in her direction, looking so damn sexy her heart hurt.
He looked just the same as she remembered, confident and gorgeous, even in his casual, faded jeans and a black polo shirt that encased all of those sexy as hell muscles.
“Hey.” She was at a loss for words, her heart beating fast and hard against her ribs. She hadn’t seen him since that last day in Vegas, nor had she heard from him. Momentarily she was struck by his sheer masculine beauty until she realized she hadn’t heard from him. And here he was, acting as though they were long lost friends and he just happened to run across her while they were both out at the same place. What happened to him not backing down?
“How’ve you been?” He asked tentatively as he stepped closer, keeping a safe distance, but Sierra felt the warmth of his presence all the same. Apparently he was acknowledging the fact that he hadn’t bothered to call her either.
“Busy.” Well, it was the truth. She’d been busy doing a lot of things. Thinking about him. Thinking about Luke. Wondering what the hell happened and how she had experienced ecstasy for only a brief moment before it was ripped away from her all too quickly.
“I heard you landed a couple of clients from the conference. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.” Sierra figured her mother was the reason for the gossip, or possibly Sam, which didn’t surprise her.
She must have been staring blankly at him because Cole placed his arm around her, as though they hadn’t spent the last few weeks not talking, and led her to the front door. Rather than knocking, he walked right in like he owned the place.
The second they were inside the brightly lit foyer, they were greeted by a big black dog, his tail wagging, and his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth. Sierra stopped momentarily, instinct telling her to tread carefully. The animal was a beast, and she didn’t want to become dinner.
“He won’t hurt you. Bear’s just a big teddy bear. Aren’t you boy?” Cole leaned down and gave the dog a firm pat on his back.
“Is he Logan and Sam’s?” Sierra asked, offering a tentative hand toward the dog. When Bear merely pressed his giant head into her palm, Sierra smiled and offered him a gentle rub.
“No.” The one word answer was said with a little irritation, but Cole didn’t offer any further explanation and Sierra didn’t ask.
“There you are!” A cheerful voice called from the living room, and Sierra looked up to see Sam coming her way.
The woman was dressed casually in a pair of faded Levi’s and a red t-shirt that accentuated her shoulder length blond hair, and a pair of Dr. Marten’s on her feet. Sierra hadn’t bothered to ask what the dress code was, so she felt a little overdressed with her jean skirt, black t-shirt and her favorite suede black boots, but she wasn’t uncomfortable. She was somewhat grateful she had taken the time to dress up since she had run into Cole.
When Sam reached in for a hug, Sierra returned the gesture, but when she stepped back, Cole was no longer beside her. She didn’t want to look obvious, so she kept her eyes on Sam, not wandering around the immaculately decorated house looking for him like she wanted. What did she care? He hadn’t bothered to call her at any point in the last few weeks, so her pride shouldn’t let her be curious about where he went.
Even if her body was begging to find out. Damn hormones.
“Did you have any trouble finding the house?”
“Not at all. Your directions were spot on.” Sierra stated, taking a step back. “I love your house, by the way.”
“Thanks. Technically it was Logan’s first, but I can’t complain.” Sam smiled sweetly. “You look like you could use a drink.”
She did? Well, the fluster was likely thanks to Cole’s unexpected presence. “That sounds great.”
“What can I get you? Wine? Vodka? Soda?”
“That’s a tough one.” Sierra grinned. A few minutes ago, before she saw Cole, Sierra would have been satisfied with a glass of wine. Being that her body had ignited despite her insistence that it sit down and shut up, she figured she’d probably fare better with the hard stuff. “I’ll take a vodka and 7Up if you have it.” Sierra said as she followed Sam through the living area into the wide open kitchen complete with stainless steel appliances and all the bell’s and whistle’s.
Sam smiled. “My kinda girl.”
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
From the moment Cole caught sight of Sierra from the corner of his eye, he’d been mesmerized yet again. For the last two weeks, he’d done everything in his power to stay away from her. He hadn’t called. He hadn’t shown up at her house. Nothing. All in hopes that somehow Luke would come to his senses. Apparently the man was more stubborn than Cole had given him credit for.
Seeing Sierra was a complete surprise, especially knowing that Luke was in attendance at this little shindig put on by Logan and Sam. The instant he saw her, Cole knew Luke’s twin had an ulterior motive. And Luke’s new sister-in-law was a matchmaker with a heart of gold, but Cole feared she was getting in over her head this time. Not only had they invited Luke and Sierra, they’d also invited Ashleigh Thomas and Alex McDermott. If they were expecting fireworks of epic proportions tonight, Cole suspected they were in for a show.
Granted, when Logan extended Cole the invitation, he’d attempted to say thanks, but no thanks. Logan hadn’t let him off the hook that easily, which explained why he was standing in the shadows watching Sierra as she disappeared into the kitchen with Sam. His preference would have been to hang around, continue to breathe in the uniquely fascinating scent of the woman and to see the smile that shone on her sweet face. Instead, the second he’d had a chance, he’d walked away from her.
Why? Well, that he couldn’t explain. And maybe he wasn’t the martyr that he tried to make himself out to be. Staying away from Sierra for the greater good wasn’t his only motive. No, he’d found himself getting too attached to her. Too quickly at that. After that last night they spent together in Vegas, wrapped in each other’s arms, his cock sheathed deep inside her luscious body, Cole damn near lost his mind. And his heart.
The only conclusion he had come to was that he had already fallen hard and fast for the woman, and after everything Luke put her through, he didn’t want to be the rebound guy. Part of him hoped that by giving her space, she’d come to him. When that didn’t happen within the first couple of days of being home, Cole figured he was right. Sierra had needed comfort after Luke had so recklessly smashed her heart.
Oh, he wouldn’t be the one to tell Sierra that he had held her that first night when she cried. Considering she had been asleep, deep, soul wracking sobs torn from her chest, Cole hadn’t been able to wake her, so he settled for doing the only thing he knew to do. He held her until she finally settled back into a restless sleep. After that, Cole had been filled with hurt and anger and… confusion.
He loved Sierra. He’d be the first to admit it. At least to himself. But he wouldn’t share that little bit of knowledge with her because apparently she hadn’t felt the same way about him.
So in a matter of weeks, Cole had found love, only to let it slip so easily from his grasp. And what was worse than that, it was the second time it had happened in the last few months. As far as he was concerned, he had met his quota for a lifetime. No sense in torturing himself any longer, so he had let her go, right along with Luke.
Tonight he would settle for watching Sierra, knowing she was doing well and hoping like hell that once Luke realized she was here, all hell didn’t break loose.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
For two hours, Sierra managed to mingle with the other guests, even being introduced to two more prospective clients. Cole was still nowhere to be found, but Sierra did her best not to care. That was much easier said than done. Thankfully Ashleigh seemed to be looking for an escape
as well, so the two women stood on the back patio overlooking the beautiful pool and talked briefly. Neither woman admitted why they were trying to put distance between themselves and the party, but Sierra found solace in the fact that she wasn’t alone.
By the time she figured she had finally put in enough face time to call it a night, Sierra managed to find the guest bathroom where she was able to take care of business and wash her hands. As she exited the bathroom, determined to seek out Sam so she could say her goodbyes, Sierra heard a familiar voice coming from further down the hall.
“Don’t you get it? I’m not interested in that right now. You might have chosen to ignore everything that happened, but damn it, I can’t.” The male voice said, anger and frustration lighting up his words.
“I’ve moved on. You should too.”
The second voice brought her up short. She dreamed of that voice.
“You’re a heartless bastard, you know that?” The first voice said, sounding as though he were moving closer to where Sierra stood motionless in the hallway. “You might be able to give her up, but I can’t. It’s killing me, Luke.”
Was Cole talking about her? Sierra’s heart pounded erratically in her chest, her hands beginning to shake.
“That’s the fucking problem. I can’t give her up, but I don’t have a choice. She needs someone better than me, someone who can put her first.”
At that point, Sierra was certain they were talking about her, but she couldn’t move from where she stood. She couldn’t go back toward the party, and she couldn’t go forward. She was rooted to the ground, hanging on every word.
“You do what you need to do. You’re a selfish bastard as far as I’m concerned, and one day you’ll realize just what the hell you missed out on. I only hope I’m around for that day.”
The voice came closer and just when Sierra realized Cole was stepping around the corner, she also recognized she didn’t have time to run.
“Sierra.” Cole’s seductive voice washed over her, sounding hurt, yet hopeful.
Her eyes darted from Cole to the man standing just a few steps behind him, then back again. She was overwhelmed with a sense of déjà vu, feeling as though she had been here before, alone with these two men. The way they stared at her, she felt as though she was completely naked, and more than a little vulnerable. Unable to move, at least she managed not to fidget.
“Sorry, I was –” Sierra let her voice trail off, not knowing what she was going to say. The only thing she did know was that she was going to make her feet move, no matter what the hell they wanted. She had to get away from them because this was too awkward, and she felt as though the bottom of her stomach had dropped out. Shooting one last glance back at Luke, Sierra made sure he saw all of the emotion that welled up inside of her before she turned to go.
“Sierra, wait.” Luke called after her, but she didn’t stop.
Fuck him.
She heard what he had to say. She knew he didn’t have any intentions of apologizing, so why the hell did she need to hang around? It would only make things worse. Instead, she pretended not to hear him and kept moving toward the front door. She only hoped Sam wouldn’t come out because she didn’t think her voice would work long enough to say goodbye. As she breached the front door, she heard Cole call out her name, but again, she didn’t stop.
She was fumbling for her keys in her purse as she reached her car. She clicked the remote to unlock the doors, but before she had her hand on the door handle, Luke’s voice bellowed from behind her.
“Sierra. Stop.”
She froze in place, trying to hold back the sob that threatened to tear from her chest. There was no way she was going to get all emotional. Not after what he had done. When she moved her arm to reach for the door handle, his big, strong hand clamped onto her wrist.
She twirled around, jerking away from him and taking a step back until she was trapped between his massive body and her car. “Don’t touch me.” She ordered, keeping her voice low and controlled.
“Luke.” Cole’s deep voice thundered from behind Luke, but Sierra couldn’t see him. “Let her go.”
She was surprised when Luke turned abruptly, an angry glare directed right at Cole. Seeing an opportunity, she reached behind her and gripped her door handle, pulling up until the car door opened. Thinking she might actually have a chance to sneak away from them unscathed, Sierra took a step to the side, trying to get the door open further.
Then that angry glare was turned back at her, and Sierra saw something else in Luke’s gaze.
“I need to go.” She stated, but it came out almost like a question. As though she were asking his permission. But that couldn’t be because Sierra didn’t give a shit what Luke wanted.
“You weren’t supposed to be here.” He stated.
That took her by surprise. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“Fuck you. I was invited.” Anger surged hot and fierce inside of her as she tried to figure out where Luke was going with this.
“I wouldn’t have come if I had known you would be here.” He looked thoroughly pissed, and Sierra would have taken another step back if she wasn’t already pressed up against her car door. When Cole stepped around to Luke’s side, she did her best not to tear her eyes away from Luke.
“Well, that makes two of us. Next time Sam invites me, I’ll make sure I ask so I don’t intrude. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to –” She was about to say go, but before she could get the word out, Luke was on her, his mouth crushing down on hers and damn her body, she couldn’t resist him as she threw her arms around his neck and pressed closer. The emotions were a whirlwind, sparking the flames and Sierra was lost, taken back to that night in the hotel room in Vegas.
Luke gripped her hair, twining it around his big fist, pulling her head back and breaking their kiss. Sierra could only stare up at him, her lips still tingling from his kiss.
“You don’t deserve this, Sierra.” Luke sounded tortured as he stared down at her. “But, I’m not strong enough to resist you.”
The strangled whimper that escaped betrayed her. She didn’t want to let him know just how much she still wanted him, despite what he had done. Despite everything. Sierra wanted him with an intensity she couldn’t control.
“Go home with me.” He said, and Sierra heard an underlying plea in his tone, even though the words were more a command than a request.
“I can’t.” She couldn’t. Damn it.
He brought his head closer, his lips hovering just above hers, his hands gripping her hips and pulling her flush against him until she felt his erection pressing against her belly.
“Go home with me, Sierra.” He demanded again.
Sierra wanted to stay strong.
She wanted to give in.
The pleasure she knew she would find in his arms, in his bed, was almost more than she could bear, but this was Luke. The same man who ran like a frightened child when things got too damn hot to handle.
“No.” She was startled by the conviction in her tone.
Luke took a step away from her, still staring down into her eyes, and though it was dark, Sierra could see the energy swirling in the green-brown hues. He wasn’t a man who was used to hearing that word, but as far as Sierra was concerned, he’d burned that bridge.
“I’m not as easy as you seem to think I am, Luke. I’m not one of those girls you can throw down on your bed, have your wicked way with, and then walk away from. I deserve better than that.”
“I agree.” He didn’t elaborate.
“Well,” Sierra choked back the emotion bubbling up, wanting this man to fight for her before she added, “have a nice life then.” When she turned this time, he didn’t stop her. She managed to get her door open completely and was just about to step inside when Luke got her attention once more.
“Don’t.” He sounded tormented, and Sierra knew exactly how he felt.
Instead of giving in to her traitorous body, Sierra forced herself into her
car, turned the key in the ignition with shaking hands and managed to drive away without giving him another glance.
Too bad she only made it two streets over before she had to pull over while she broke down and cried.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Luke didn’t move from the driveway as he watched the tail lights of Sierra’s car disappear into the darkness. What the hell had just happened? How did he end up standing there, begging her to go home with him when the only thing he wanted to do was to watch her walk away. Actually, that was a bold faced lie. The last thing he wanted was for her to walk away. But, he had been honest when he said she deserved better.
Sierra deserved a man who could satisfy her in every way, one who would put her first, not his own needs. Luke wasn’t that man. He couldn’t understand, much less explain, what it was he needed from her. There was something there though. Something so strong Luke couldn’t just walk away again. He was starting to wonder how he managed the first time.
The memories flooded his mind, the night he finally let himself get lost in her exquisite body, buried to the hilt while she clamped down on his cock. He’d been delirious with pleasure, more so than he had ever known.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming his way. He turned, fully expecting to come face to face with Cole, but he wasn’t standing there. Instead, he found Sam standing only a few feet behind him, her arms crossed beneath her breasts, staring at him like he had grown a third eyeball.
“What did you do?” She asked, no longer the sweet, submissive woman he had been with in the past.
“It’s best this way.” He told her and started to walk off.
Sam put her hand on his arm, gripping firmly, and he halted, staring down at her small fingers where they latched onto his bicep.
“I may not be the best person to give advice, especially when it comes to running away, but Luke, damn it, you can’t keep doing this to yourself.”
“Doing what?” He tried to play ignorant.
“You can’t stand here and tell me you didn’t find something in Sierra that makes you feel more complete than you ever have before. It doesn’t matter how scared you are, you have to own up to what is happening between the two of you.”
Temptation (Club Destiny) Page 15