Alyssa was at once putty in his hands, a willing and eager participant. “Cole, what are you doing?” Please, she thought desperately, let it be more than just a quick peck!
He bent his head, his breath fanning her lips as he hovered there to speak. “Giving you your prize.” He skimmed his mouth over hers, sliding from one side to the other, nipping gently. When Alyssa made a small sound in protest, making it clear she wanted more, he pulled her closer, his arms encircling her and pressing her body to his. Giving in to her whimpered plea, his kisses increased in pressure then with a groan of need, his tongue quested for entrance.
Surging with sudden, consuming need, Alyssa parted her lips and returned his deep, penetrating kisses with feverish fervor. Ever since last night she'd been tense with unfulfilled desire and now she was eager to assuage the problem. Her hands slid up his chest, around his neck then into his soft hair. Tugging gently, she pulled his head down to deepen their kisses and Cole was quick to oblige.
With his hands caressing her back in restless exploration, he teased her with the softest of touches until, with a deep growl, he grasped at her hips and pulled her into his thrusts, making her aware of just how much he wanted her.
The need for oxygen finally made Alyssa yank her mouth from his. She dragged in some air, noted that he did the same, then pulled his mouth back for more soul-shattering pleasure.
Aroused and rigid with desire, Cole pressed with increasing intensity against her pelvis and she met each thrust with eager cooperation. Liquid heat pooled into an insistent ache between her legs.
“My God, Alyssa, I want you so bad.” His breathing ragged, his voice hoarse with passion, Cole buried his face in her hair and fought for some control. His hands, however, moved as if on their own volition, gripping her hips, kneading her beautiful, shapely butt while rocking his pelvis against her, back and forth, back and forth until he thought he might explode. He felt like a randy, out-of-control teenager. A shudder wracked through him and he went still, fighting hard to get a grip on his passion. “You don't know how badly I want to make love to you right now."
Alyssa slumped against him. She was sure he could hear the pounding of her heart. “Oh, Cole.” She groaned and turned her head to his, searching for his mouth and parting her lips for his kiss. She couldn’t get enough of him. She wanted to melt right into him. She wanted to soak him up like a wet sponge and absorb him into her very soul.
Cole’s hand moved lower then tugged at her dress, pulling the material up enough to get his hands under it. When he touched the back of her bare thigh, Alyssa let out a long, low moan. The shock of it sent warning bells through her body. That and intense pleasure. If he stopped now she'd die.
His hand moved higher still and she pulled her mouth from his as her head fell back. She was now so focused on his hand that she couldn't manage anything else.
"You smell as good as you taste." After muttering the words in a rough rasp against her ear, Cole lowered his mouth to her neck and sucked gently, his breathing harsh and hot against her skin.
Alyssa arched her back and Cole lowered his head to kiss the top of her breasts.
Suddenly their clothes were nothing but a hindrance. Wishing to rip them off and plaster herself skin to skin against him, Alyssa let out a frustrated moan.
“Oh my God, you are driving me crazy.” Cole tilted his head back and sucked in a deep breath then lowered his mouth to her temple, pressing kisses along the sensitive skin there. When she trembled in response, he skimmed his lips across her cheek, his tongue tasting her skin along the way.
Alyssa’s head fell back to allow him easy access to her neck and because she hadn't the strength to hold it up anymore.
With one hand lightly grazing her inner thigh, he moved the other to cup her breast. She groaned and pushed into him, loving his touch and craving more. Cole’s thumb rubbed against the hard nub of her nipple sending little shivers of pleasure pulsing through her. All reason was gone, she wanted Cole, and she wanted him now. Her hands moved feverishly over his chest, slipping inside his tux and working clumsily on the buttons. While Cole continued to assault her neck, she managed to open his shirt and slip her hands over his broad chest, the hair lightly peppering it tickling her palms.
Cole shivered convulsively and lifted his head to suck in more air. He laughed, a low sexy sound that made Alyssa’s heart skip and flutter. “I feel like a horny teenager that’s never been with a woman.”
“I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.” Her voice husky and breathless, she thought it a wonder she could speak at all.
With his eyes holding hers, he moved his hand closer to her feminine heat, his fingers teasing her until she gritted her teeth in an effort not to cry out. He made slow agonizing progress to the core of her burning, pulsing desire. Her body went weak, her legs to jelly. His hand closed over the spot that ached for so very much more and a violent tremor went through her. Cole’s eyes closed as his own body shook with fierce need.
“I’m sure I saw them come out here, Paul.” It was Trisha’s voice that brought them crashing violently back to earth.
Alyssa’s eyes flew open in horror.
Cole responded swiftly. With his arm around her boneless body, he pulled her behind some shrubs and placed a finger over her lips, nodding in warning for her to not make any sound.
“She’s been gone quite a while, I just wanted to make sure she was okay.” Paul’s voice came from the other side of the shrub.
“You love her a lot don’t you, Paul?”
“She’s very special,” he answered softly.
"Hey, just think, someday you can be the one to marry her."
Paul laughed. "I would be honored to have that privilege." They moved away making it impossible to hear any further discussion.
Cole felt as if a fist had just slammed into his gut. It didn't help that Alyssa pulled away from him and walked to a bench a short distance away. Wondering what was going through her mind, he watched her sit down then close her eyes, her head bent forward, her lips parted and trembling. A whole gamut of questions tumbled over in his mind. Just what were her feelings for Paul anyway? For him? Where did they go from here?
Aside from the fact she was feeling nauseous and weak, Alyssa’s mind was racing from one thought to another. What was happening between her and Cole? How did he feel about her? How come she never knew such splendid passion until now? Where did they go from here?
“Alyssa? Are you okay?”
She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him. No I’m not okay, Cole. I think I’m in love with you and it scares me half to death. But the words didn’t come out for her head was spinning in shock. Could it really have happened? After all these years of shared dislike, could she now be in love? Another wave of nausea hit her and she put a hand to her mouth. "Oh God." She was going to be sick.
“Hey, you okay?” Cole was beside her in an instant.
Alyssa drew away from him in panic, horrified at the idea that she might humiliate herself and empty her stomach right there in front of him. “Don’t … don’t touch me, Cole.” Her stomach heaving, Alyssa jumped up and started walking. A bathroom was in order and quick.
Stung by her response to him, Cole drew back and watched her rush away. How could she treat him like that after the kiss they just shared? What in hell was wrong with the woman?
Praying he didn't follow her, Alyssa broke into a run. She made it to the bathroom just in time. The cause was easy enough to figure out. She'd had too much champagne, too much passion and too much shock. She was literally reeling from those passionate moments with Cole. It was too incredible. It was happening too fast. Her legs weak, Alyssa sunk into a chair and broke into near hysterical laughter. Two weeks ago she would never have believed such a thing could happen. Two weeks ago she thought she hated Cole Delaney. Two short, measly weeks. Boy was life full of shocking surprises. But was it love or just an incredibly powerful physical attraction? Did one have to accompany the other?
She let her head fall back against the wall and closed her eyes. Somehow she had to sort this all out. Make some sense of something that made no sense. How could two people go from one extreme to the other in such a short time?
The bathroom door opened.
“Al? Is something wrong? We’ve been looking all over for you.” Trisha advanced into the room and locked the door behind her.
Alyssa sat up and tried without much success to smile at her concerned friend. “I think I had a little too much champagne and not enough to eat.”
Trisha sighed in relief. “Is that what it is? I thought maybe you and Cole had upset each other again.” She sank onto the chair beside Alyssa’s. “Cole’s got the strangest look on his face and when I tried to ask him if he's seen you, he about bit my head off. Told me to find your...Paul and ask him.” Trisha peered at her closely, suspiciously. “Did anything happen between you two?”
Wondering what he'd really said since it was obvious Trisha had mended Cole's reply to her question, Alyssa’s face went red as to the question now being posed to her. To say something happened between them was a major understatement. She wondered what Trisha would say if she told her the truth. “No, no of course not.”
“Why are you blushing?”
“I'm not blushing. I think I’m going to get sick again.” She flew out of her seat and made it to the toilet just in the nick of time. There was nothing to kill unfulfilled passion like an upset stomach. When she finally emerged from the stall, Trisha held a cool, wet cloth out to her. “Thanks.” She took it and wiped at her hot face then went to the sink and rinsed out her mouth. It was system overload. That’s what it was. “I need to leave, Trisha. Can you get Paul?”
Trisha nodded, her face twisted with concern. “Of course. Jack and I are getting ready to leave ourselves. I’ll see you when we get back from the honeymoon in two weeks.” She gave Alyssa a long, gentle hug. “I love you, Al. Thanks for today.”
Once her friend was gone, Alyssa put her head in her hands. How on earth was she supposed to deal with the situation between herself and Cole? How would he feel tomorrow? Would he regret their kisses?
“Alyssa? You still in there?”
Paul! Oh God, what was she going to tell him? Deciding honesty was indeed the best policy, especially with him, Alyssa opened the door and joined him out in the hallway. Grimacing with embarrassment, she took his hand in hers and squeezed it. “Thanks for coming so quickly, Paul. I hate to pull you away, but I’d really like to go home and I was hoping you'd take me there.”
His eyes widened slightly in concern. “What’s happened?”
“Too much champagne. I didn’t eat hardly anything today and I’m not much of a drinker. Guess my body is telling me that I’ve overdone it.”
Paul slipped an arm around her. “Then let me get you home and into bed.”
Cole stood at the end of the hall, unnoticed by either of them. His hand tightened on his glass in cold, hard fury as he watched them walk away. So Paul was taking her home to bed was he? Just what kind of a game was Alyssa playing now? How could she share such a passionate kiss with him and then run off to bed with Paul? The very thought of them tangled naked together filled him with such rage that he wanted to hit something. He wanted to smash his fist into Paul's sympathetic face. Reeling in his fury, Cole set his glass down and headed for the door.
Alyssa dozed through most of the drive home. Paul made no attempt to talk with her and for that she was grateful. She didn’t want to talk to anyone about anything. She just wanted to be alone so she could think.
Paul pulled into her driveway then leaned over to shake her gently awake. “We’re here, angel.” He went around to her door and gave her a hand up. “Come on, up we go.” With a supportive arm around her waist, he walked with her to the house, offering words of encouragement along the way.
When they finally made it to her door, Paul asked for her keys and she handed him her purse. “In there.”
He fished around until he found them then quickly got her into the house, walking her straight to her bedroom. Although she hated that he was seeing her so inebriated, she was grateful for his assistance. She was even more grateful when they made it to her bed for she wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to stand. The moment she flopped onto her mattress she let out a low moan of misery, the sound muffled by her pillow. “I have a horrendous headache.”
“Why don’t you put on your night clothes and I’ll go fetch you some aspirin,” Paul suggested kindly.
“Okay, Paul, thanks.” As soon as he left her alone, she stripped out of her dress and flung it carelessly over the back of a chair then slipped on an oversized University of Maine T-shirt. Nothing sounded better to her than sleep and she crawled into bed at the same time that Paul knocked on her door.
“Is it okay to come in now?”
“Sure, Paul, I’m as decent as I’ll ever be.” She pushed herself up into a sitting position then drew her knees against her chest and wrapped her arms around them for support. Her head was still spinning and her stomach queasy but the headache was starting to overshadow both conditions.
“You feeling okay?” Paul sat down beside her on the bed and handed her two aspirin and a glass of water. Alyssa took them with a murmur of thanks. After she handed him the empty glass, he set it on the nightstand and turned to look at her. “What’s troubling you, Alyssa?”
“Cole. Things are happening between us that doesn't make any sense.” She shook her head in confusion, a frown marring her smooth forehead. “Two weeks ago we couldn’t stand each other and now we can’t get enough of each other. Two weeks ago I hated him and now I think I love him.” She gave Paul a pleading look. “Please help me understand this.”
Paul reached over and gently pushed her hair back from her face. “I told you before that hate is an illusion. It is a feeling completely generated from the mind. Love is the only true emotion. Love comes from God. When we aren't reconciled to it, however, we often hide from it with anger. Alyssa, think about it. Your life for the past twelve years or so has evolved one way or another around Cole. He possesses an amazing amount of influence over you whether you want to admit it or not.”
She nodded in understanding. “I understand that now. But I still don't get how things can change so completely in just two short weeks.”
“Once your true feelings are allowed to surface, what is time? What you feel for Cole has been building for years. It’s just in the past two weeks that you are discovering it.”
Alyssa fell back against her pillow. She was extremely tired. “I really do want to talk to you about this, Paul, but I’m really very tired.”
“Look, it’s quite late. Why don’t I camp out on the couch? We’ll do breakfast and talk some more tomorrow. How’s that sound?”
Alyssa managed a sleepy smile. “Heavenly. Night, Paul.”
“Goodnight, Alyssa. Pleasant dreams.” He reached over and shut off her bedside lamp and quietly left her room.
A homemade quilt was folded across the back of her couch and Paul grabbed it as he passed by. Once he removed his shoes and jacket, he loosened a few shirt buttons then stretched out on the sofa. There he lay staring into the darkness for a long time, his mind busy with heartfelt prayer. Then, satisfied that he'd done all he could do and confident it would all work out, he drifted into a sound sleep.
* * *
Cole parked his truck across the street from Alyssa’s house and cut the engine. Paul’s car was parked in her driveway and Alyssa’s bedroom light was on. Seconds later he caught a glimpse of a shadowed male figure through the drawn blinds. So Paul was in Alyssa’s bedroom. His teeth clenched and his hands curled into tight fists. When the light went out, he slammed a fist into the steering wheel. How could she do this? How could she kiss him like she had earlier then go home with another man? She was primed for him all right. The thought made Cole sick. Black, consuming rage built inside him. She was a first class bitch and Paul was a no-good bastard. What he’d d
o if he could get his hands on the both of them.
Pain lanced through him and his head fell back against the seat. Losing control was not going to change a damn thing. Alyssa was playing with him. She had to be. Was this the payback she’d told him she’d mete out? Well he’d just paid with his heart and possibly even his sanity. It was driving him wild to think that Paul was in there right now doing things to her body that he was burning to do with her himself.
Despair rose like bile in his throat. For years he’d felt nothing but irritation and annoyance with Al. Those were feelings he could readily deal with. These new ones were alien territory and painful. He felt as if his very soul was being ripped apart. He’d known, of course, that where Alyssa was concerned he needed to tread with care. He’d known full well the kind of trouble she could cause if he ever acted on his attraction to her. For he had been attracted. More than he cared to admit. His only armor had been their bickering. His only defense was cold, hard indifference. His only weapon was sarcasm. Then Trisha stripped him of them all. He knew that day in Trisha’s living room that he was in very deep trouble. But, oh, he hadn’t realized to what extent it was going to cost him.
Feeling like his life force was draining right out of him, Cole put a hand to his chest and pressed against the sensation. Why did it feel as if he was suffering a devastating loss?
Because he was. He’d just lost Alyssa. Even if she was to leave Paul and come to him, Cole knew he wouldn’t take her up on the offer. He’d never trust her. If she could be so callous as to move from man to man as easily as she just went from him to Paul, well how could he possibly trust her? As for Paul, did he know about Jerry? From what Trisha told him, Alyssa had been after the lowlife bastard for quite some time. Why? Was poor, clueless Paul not enough for her? Apparently not.
The need to get the hell away surged through him and he started his truck. Well they deserved each other. He was through with both of them. After casting one more look at her house, he put his truck in gear and started down the street, determined to never, ever look back.
Tangled Up Hearts Page 27