Broken Barriers (Barriers Series Book 4)

by Shirley, Sara

  “You.” Her breathy voice was just above a whisper against my cheek, and then she retreated from my grip. Her warm hands no longer flushed against my skin. “I... mean,” Cole stuttered. “You…I...” She couldn’t find the words and grew frustrated with herself. A deep growl sounded from within her throat. I placed two fingers over her lips, shushing her. Her soft eyes stared up at me, and my heart pounded against my chest. My fingers skated down her lips, pulling her bottom lip, intensifying my desire to lick that lip.

  “What’s the one condition, Cole?”

  “A date.” Her voice quivered. “I mean, not like a date-date. Like spend the day helping me with something away from here.” I stepped back and rested my sweaty hands on her shoulders. As a result, her nervousness dissipated, and she relaxed with just my touch. Why she was so nervous, I had no idea. If anything, she was the one who threw my head into a turbulent mess.

  “That doesn’t sound like it’s really a date. What do you need help with?” I willed her to answer without apprehension.

  “I need to do a photo shoot at a farmers’ market that I always go to for fresh supplies for the café, but it’s a bit of a drive, so you’ll be forced to spend the day in the car with me.”

  “If that’s the one condition, then the way I see it, I’m getting off pretty easy.”

  “Well…I need someone to run the Trouvaille stand while I take the photos. Soooo…”

  “So, you want me to run your market stand?” My voice rose a little higher with skepticism. She couldn’t be serious. “You can’t be serious? What if I screw that up and ruin your business?”

  Cole quickly kicked off her flamingo pink flip-flops and tossed her sunglasses onto her chair. “Drew Daley.” She stepped around me, walking backward toward the wooden dock. While her eyes scanned my body, her finger pointed up and down at me. “Pretty sure if you have all that going on, the ladies will eat you up in a second.”

  I glanced down at my reddish chest and still barely-there six pack that was glistening in sweat. I let out a deep laugh before looking up at her. “Cole Porter, are you saying you think I’m hot and sexy?” She raised an eyebrow and shrugged a shoulder. I took a couple of steady steps in her direction despite my feet sinking in the sand, and the grin on her face grew larger. “Cole,” I drawled out her name. “You like me, don’t you?”

  She shrugged her shoulders again and waved her hand at me, brushing that idea aside. “Ehh…you’re all right.” She turned quickly and took off running down the dock. Her bare feet stomped against the wood beneath her as she pulled her tank top over her head. It fell behind her, and as she reached the end of the dock, she cannonballed into the water. I laughed at everything that happened.

  I was all right. Did she seriously say I was just all right?

  The moment I saw her surface and swim farther, her laughter refreshingly cast itself over the water. “Say you’ll go on a real date with me!” I shouted at her.

  “Why would I want to do that?” she answered, treading in the water.

  “Because, the way I see it, you have two choices: go on a real date with me or I’ll spend every waking moment making sure the entire town knows you have a crush on me.”

  “Who said I’m attracted to you?” she yelled.

  “You can try to deny it all you want, but I know you are.” Her mouth hung open as her arms treaded water, and with that, I kicked off my sandals and sprinted down the dock. I leapt off the end and tucked my legs underneath me before hitting the water. It had been so long since I had cannonballed into the bay. The invigorating water shot chills up my spine, immediately cooling my body temperature.

  As I surfaced, I instantly felt recharged, swiping water from my eyes and pushing my wet hair off my face. Cole swam away from me to the ladder on the dock, the water lapping at her skin as she swam. Her feet kicked behind her, splashing water at the surface. I quickly pushed my way through the water, swimming in her direction.

  Cole wrapped her hands around the ladder, but turned to face me as I sidled up to her. Both of us breathed at a labored pace from the swim. Or maybe it was from the proximity to each other at the moment that had our pulses racing. My hands covered the metal bars above her head, and my body leaned into her. Water droplets glided along her skin as she started desperately trying to find an exit strategy. Her eyes told me I was correct in assuming she liked me, and I wasn’t dreaming the connection.

  I wasn’t letting her go. Not this time. I was done letting chances pass me by.

  I lowered one arm, encircling her waist and pulling her into my chest. Her eyes enlarged as she reached out to wrap an arm around my neck. “Drew…” Her eyes nervously watched my movements. Before she had a chance to toss out another word, my lips crushed into hers, and I felt the tension leave her body. She melted as I pushed my tongue into her mouth. They tangled and danced. Her arm suddenly pulled me tighter and closer. Before I knew it, her legs were wrapped around my waist, her breasts flushed against my chest. A thin layer of smooth fabric on her bikini was the only thing separating us.

  I caught my breath and intensified our kiss. Cole pulled back, gasping for air as her head fell back. Sensual moans told me all I needed to know. “Cole…” I growled her name as I placed slow, methodical kisses along her neck.

  “Mmmhmm…” She moaned, her arms still snaked around my neck.

  “You think I’m hot?”

  “Mmmhmm…” She didn’t hesitate with her nonverbal response.

  “Will you go out with me, like on a real date?”

  “Yes.” She panted as she tried to collect herself while my lips continued to torture her neck. Her body shuddered within my arms as my own body thrummed with nervous desire for her. I had to keep my mind in check, even though everything in my swim trunks was ready to throw caution to the wind. One part of me wanted to rip her bikini off and take her right there on the dock, while the part of my brain that was still operating with all its gears in check was slapping the shit out of that part of my brain that wanted to fuck her right there on the dock. Cole wasn’t some random drill weekend slam. She was special, and she had been hurt before. I needed to be extra careful with her and not push her too much. I would not hurt her.

  “Cole.” Her head dropped forward as I pulled my lips away from her skin. “You okay with all this? You…me…this?” I watched her contemplate my question. Her hand slid from around my neck as she ran her palm along my freshly shaven jaw. I leaned into her touch and stared back into her eyes that shifted between my own. It was as though she was trying to see into my soul before actually making a decision. She was looking to see if I was different from the one that hurt her before. Was I? Maybe not, but I was willing to change if it meant I got her in the end.

  “Hey.” I grabbed her attention. “I promise no matter what I won’t hurt you. Do you trust me?”

  She nodded. “I trust you. I don’t know why I trust you, Drew, but I do.” She brushed her lips against mine before pulling me in for a sweet and tender kiss. Not a heated passionate kiss, just a simple kiss that said more than any earlier one she had given me.

  “Does that mean you’ll go out with me, for real?” I waited in bated breath for her response.

  Her head quickly nodded. “Yes…I’ll go out with you.”

  “So, you do think I’m hot,” I exclaimed, reiterating my point from before.

  “Fine! Oh my God, you are insatiable. Yes. You are incredibly hot and insanely attractive.”

  “See.” I winked at her. “That wasn’t so hard, now was it?”

  The drive to Portsmouth Farmers’ Market was relatively uneventful. That was probably because I sat in the passenger seat sulking like a child. The damn passenger seat. We had to take Cole’s Jeep since it was the vehicle she used each week she made this trip. When I arrived at her house, I was all ready to take my car and drive, but the minute I saw her loading the Jeep with the trays of baked goods, I knew it wasn’t happening.

  Then to take the cake, I was tossed in t
he passenger seat as she took the driver’s seat. I tolerated being in the passenger seat for a few minutes, but after an hour, I was going stir-crazy. I had to give Cole credit, though. She had a lead foot and good taste in music, so my jittery ticks and bouncing knee weren’t as bad as they usually were if I was not behind the wheel.

  From the always-classic tunes of Aerosmith to today’s popular rock of The Black Keys, Cole hummed away as she sipped her coffee from her Sugar Skull travel mug. Her hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, and she wore a black scoop neck T-shirt with a pink Trouvaille logo on the back. A simple silver arrow necklace dangled around her neck, while khaki shorts and original black Chucks rounded out her outfit. I knew this because she caught me ogling at her simple yet heart-stopping beauty for at least an hour.

  We finished playing twenty questions, and something she said was an easy way to break the ice, if you didn’t have anything to talk about. Or were just really nervous, was what I thought it was all about. But, I learned a lot about Cole who with each answer reminded me more and more of…well, never mind. She was such an honest and caring soul; I would never believe someone hurt her. Which brought me to why we were silent as the morning progressed. My last question in the game was ‘Why were you crying that night at Everett’s?’ Yeah, that just about did it. I killed any headway and laughter in less than a minute. Her response wasn’t directed at me, I didn’t think. ‘You fight for our freedom. Why can’t you fight for the one you love?’ It was said in such a hushed tone the hum of the engine muffled her voice, but I read her lips and didn’t say anything past that. I couldn’t tell if she was speaking to herself or to me.

  Moments later, we pulled off the highway and headed through downtown Portsmouth, passing through the picturesque boating community. The historic row houses—some brick, some painted bright colors—ran through the waterfront. Old rusted fishing vessels and tugboats lined the harbor as we drove along the waterfront. The old closed down Navy yard sat across the water quiet and undisturbed. We crept over the cobblestone streets through the center of town. Bars and small shops occupied the ground level of all the buildings. Their weathered signs hung over the doors. It reminded me a lot of Wolfeboro. We passed an old white steeple church in the town square before finally coming to a stop. The park that overlooked the water stretched over a long grassy knoll, and historic buildings sat off in the distance, giving the waterfront the true charm it required.

  I noticed several white tents a few feet away, and farm trucks had begun setting up beyond that. I had to make things better before Cole and I got out of the car. I hadn’t even taken her on our first date, and we were already not speaking to each other.

  Cole put the car into park and pulled the keys from the ignition. The radio noise no longer gave us an excuse not to talk. The only sound heard now was coming from the people unloading their vehicles. Her hand reached for the door, and I immediately gripped it.

  “Cole.” Her head twisted, and her uncertain blue eyes glared back at me. “I never meant…” No, that was not right. “I shouldn’t have…”

  “Drew, it’s fine.” Her body turned as the leather seat squeaked against her skin. “I’ll tell you about him, I promise, but just not right now. Not today.” Her fingers grazed my temple as she brushed some of my brown messy hair away from my face. A smile graced her lips as she pulled her hand away to rest on her lap. My thumb rubbed soft circles over her knuckles. “Today, we have work to do.” She laughed. “Today, you have a job to do, so you better get ready.” She reached into the backseat and quickly produced an apron and handed it to me. It was possibly one of the un-manliest aprons, ever.

  “No. Just no.” I leaned back, holding my hands up in defense. “I am not putting that on.”

  “Oh, I believe you have to since you agreed to the one condition in order for me to forget about that little conversation we had the other day. Remember?”

  “You’re seriously going to make me wear that?”

  “Yup. So, put your balls away for the day, Daley. Today, you are my employee, and you will wear what all the girls wear in the store.”

  I looked down at my hands, the black fabric of the apron folded neatly with the pink Trouvaille logo staring me in the face. None of that bothered me in the least. I was manly enough to handle an apron. It was the pink ruffles that lined the edges and the piece that wrapped around the neck that bothered me. I looked up at Cole, my eyes pleading silently with her. “Please, no,” I begged, even trying the puppy dog eyes and quivering lips.

  “I’ll tell you what…” Cole shifted in her seat a little more, her one arm resting over the steering wheel. “You wear that, and I’ll tell you a secret that nobody knows, not even Morgan.”

  My mind began to run wild. What could she be hiding? I needed to know. Forget the pink ruffles. Cole had a secret, and I was going to find out just what that was. Not like I was going to run into anyone I knew here anyway, so I would put on the damn girlie apron. I tilted my body toward her. A slow, sly grin spread over her lips. I reached my hand out, waiting for her to shake it. “You have a deal, Porter.” She slapped her palm against mine and laughed.

  “Never doubted I’d lose anyway, Daley.”

  I tossed the apron over my head and let it hang loosely off my neck, planning to tie the rest of it later.

  We both hopped out of the Jeep and pulled the supplies from the back. I stretched my arms over my head before lugging her gear to her reserved spot. Masses of people were already set up along the waterfront park as we were just getting started. After Cole directed me where to unload the tent, I started assembling the pink pop-up tent. Of course, it was pink. The store logo branded the sides in black script lettering. Cole dropped off the table and a few other accessories for the stand before I heard the cackling of some women behind me while my arms were trying to secure the top of the tent to the frame.

  “He’s got a nice butt.”

  “Maybe, he’s…you know…gay.”

  “Honey, they didn’t make them like that to be gay.”

  “How would you know? He is wearing a pink apron.”

  “What the fu…” I stopped as I turned to see two older gray-haired women standing just beyond the tent. Cole rolled a cart with boxes of baked goods in their direction, her smile as large as the sun. The moment they embraced in affectionate hugs, I knew they were friends. As I returned to getting the stand ready, I heard some taunting catcall whistles followed by, “Hey, sexy” and, “You sexy thang” coming from behind me.

  I wanted to rip the damn apron off. Screw finding out her secret.

  My back went rigid, and my blood began to boil. This day was going to be torture; I knew it. I turned, expecting to see some arrogant teenagers looking to pick a fight. The faces staring back at me were anything but teenagers. Arrogant, yes, but not teenagers. They were all laughing as they leaned against the railing along the waterfront. Although the sun beat down against the waterway behind them, I could see each of their faces. With coffees in hand, Everett, Deroche, and Locke stood there laughing among themselves. I shook my head and silently laughed as I flipped them off.

  I made the long walk with purposeful strides in their direction. A scowl grew on my face the closer I got. “You know I can hear you, assholes, right?” I pointed out just in case they thought I was deaf and not just hard of hearing in one ear.

  “What up, kid?” Everett pushed off the railing and clasped my shoulder as he greeted me. “You know pink isn’t exactly your color.”

  “YeahYeahYeah,” I sputtered out, pulling the apron off with eagerness. “What the hell are all of you doing here?” I asked as I bunched the apron in my hands. I relaxed and crossed my arms in front of me, tucking the apron under my arm and out of sight.

  “Cole knew we’d be down here for Beer Week, so she told us to stop by.” Oh, did she now? Everett pointed to the apron. “Now I know why.”

  Moments later, after I went through more demoralizing ridicule by the guys, a small hand touched my s
houlder from behind. I jumped slightly at the unexpected touch. My head twisted to see Cole walking around to my side.

  “Hey, guys!” Her perky voice greeted everyone. “So glad you could make it. Did you see Drew’s pretty apron? I think it definitely brings out the color in his eyes. Don’t you think?” Cole grinned mischievously. Her chin tilted up at me, and she winked.

  I leaned down to Cole’s ear. “You’ll pay for that later, sweetheart.”

  “Ahhh.” She held up one finger. “I highly doubt that. See, I’m not the one who screwed a stripper.” My eyebrows raised in shock as I thought I misheard her, yet I didn’t. She was the devil and held all the cards now.

  I glanced over at the guys, whose eyes had all widened, and said, “Oh, now this all makes perfect sense.”

  Everett high fived Cole. Cole knew the guys would catch me wearing the apron.

  Cole said a quick good-bye to the guys before she headed back to set up her booth and to get her camera gear ready to go. My mind was preoccupied with watching her light up as she chatted and waved to random people she passed. So much about her was still unknown, but shit, if my heart wasn’t falling a little more each time I saw her. There was still that one piece of my heart that I couldn’t let go of, and that was my biggest hurdle.

  “You know, I’ve never seen Cole as happy as she’s been since you came into her life.” Everett squeezed my shoulder. I barely even flinched from the unexpected movement. If that had happened two weeks earlier, I’d have been a loose cannon and maybe even leveled Everett. He squeezed my shoulder once again. “I don’t know what you have done to her, but she seems like she’s finally her old self again. It’s almost like you’ve healed her heart again. Just don’t fuck it up.” And with that, Everett and the guys said their good-byes and headed off toward the downtown marketplace.

  My fingers ran aimlessly through my unruly hair as I continued to watch Cole as she organized her cellophane-wrapped blueberry muffins and raspberry scones in baskets on the table. Her hands stopped fumbling as I locked eyes with her. Those eyes. God, those eyes broke me every time.