“Pancakes make you giggle?”
“No, it’s that I can’t really see you cooking.”
“Oh, I can cook. I don’t do it often, but I can.” He walked to the pantry, and I followed, eager to see what he was up to. “Maggie taught us all how to cook. Well, maybe not Theo.” I giggled at his remark. “But if you want pancakes, that’s what you’ll get.”
“I figured pancakes are hard to screw up.”
“Still doubting me I see.” He placed the flour, sugar, and vanilla extract on the countertop and turned towards me. Lifting me in the air, he placed me on the counter top. “I’m going to wow you with my cooking skills. Soon you won’t be using me just for sex.” He winked.
“Hey! I don’t use you just for sex. Cunnilingus too.”
“I do like cunnilingus.” His hand reached between my legs, spreading me apart. “Are you always this wet, Katherine?”
“Food. You said you were making me dinner,” I moaned.
“To be continued.” He pulled his fingers out of my core and wiped my arousal on my lips before he grabbed my chin and kissed it off.
Cole took the remaining ingredients from the refrigerator and cabinets. In a bowl, he mixed it all together, then placing the whisked pancake batter to the side, he returned to the fridge. Pulling out fresh berries, he strolled over to me with a grin on his face and an eyebrow cocked high. Taking the space between my legs, he flipped open the lid for the strawberries. He pressed the bright fruit to my lips, tracing their outline. It was sweet and fragrant, but when I went to bite down, he pulled it away from me. Teasing me, he took a bite and the juices coated his lips. His tongue slid across his lips, and I became instantly jealous of the strawberry. He took another strawberry from the container and slid it down my neck towards the collar of his shirt. My hands came across and unbuttoned the first three buttons so he could continue.
He rubbed the strawberry down my chest, around the mound of my breast and around the peak of my perked nipple. The fruit was cool on my blazing skin. My breath caught in my throat when he brought his lips to the strawberry he had placed on my nipple.
“I want my fruit to taste like you, sweet and juicy,” he whispered, his breath tickling my skin. His tongue flicked my nipple before he bit down on the strawberry.
“You promised me dinner.”
“I know, and you’re my appetizer.”
Cole guided me down on the cold marble surface. Unbuttoning my shirt completely, he placed raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries at different spots on my bare chest. My nipples were covered with raspberries, blueberries surrounded my navel, and a path of strawberries ran down my abs.
Cole kissed my thighs as he crawled up my body. He kissed my happy trail that led him straight to the blueberries. His tongue swirled around my navel, taking each berry in his mouth.
“So sweet.”
His tongue slithered up the mound of my right breast. I held my breath, waiting for the moment he took my nipple into his mouth. The pad of his tongue circled around my areola. With his eyes locked on mine, he took the raspberry in his mouth, and my body trembled with arousal. Repeating the exact same step with my other breast, he stopped at the tip on my nipple, flicking the raspberry with his tongue. Each second was torture. Agony and lust.
Cole took the fruit between his lips and climbed up high on my body. He bit down on the raspberry seconds before crashing his mouth over mine. The burst of sweet and tart from its juice dripped from Cole’s mouth into mine. His tongue swirled around mine deepening the kiss. It wasn’t until my stomach growled with hunger, that he pulled away from me.
Cole showed me that he was a master in the kitchen. Within a few minutes, he had chocolate chip and blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, and fruit salad. Cole and I sat on top of the kitchen island devouring our pancakes. I couldn’t contain my moans when the fluffy cake entered my mouth, the blueberry warm and sweet. Cole tried to keep the conversation flowing between us, but I was so hungry my mouth was never empty to reply to his questions.
When our plates were cleared, I jumped off the island, taking our empty dishes to the sink. I walked over to his freezer and pulled it open.
“Are you still hungry?” Cole locked his arms around me, kissing my neck.
“I’m in the mood for dessert.” I leaned forward, my ass grazing his pelvis. I moved frozen meat and vegetables, but he had no ice cream. “How do you have a kitchen filled with everything, but you don’t have a single pint of ice cream?”
He shrugged. “I’m not really a sweets kind of guy.”
I closed the freezer and turned, wrapping my arms around his neck. “We need to change that. There is always room for dessert, and ice cream cures everything.”
“I thought I was your dessert?” He pressed his semi-hard cock against my stomach.
My eyebrow rose. “If I’m keeping count—and I am—you’ve come three times in the past two hours. Aren’t you supposed to be tired and ready for bed?”
“I haven’t had you in a long time, Kat. I’m trying to make up for lost time.” His hands cupped my bare thighs lifting me around his waist. “And I have a lot of time to make up for.” He walked us over to the couch, laying me down as he took my lips.
He wasn’t kidding. He could definitely go again.
Cole’s fingers grasped my chin, jerking it towards him. His thin, hard lips pressed on top of mine before he covered my mouth with his calloused hand. I fought against him as it felt impossible to breathe. Yanking at the hair on my tender scalp, he forced my eyes to meet his. Even in the darkness, I could see his large frame above me.
“Don’t cry, Katy.” His voice sent fear ricocheting through my body.
This wasn’t Cole.
“It’ll be over soon,” he whispered in my ear while the stubble on his cheek scraped my skin. “You don’t want your mother to hear.”
“Please…” My whimper was barely audible.
“Shhh…”
Bile rose in my throat and flooded my mouth. He was going to tear through me again. I pushed against his heavy body, his weight immobilized me. Calling on a force from deep within, I found the strength to kick, but it was pointless since I was a child and Gary was a man. My blows to his side did nothing but cause him to laugh.
My body shook with fear. The sound of a condom wrapper tearing open made me snap my eyelids closed. The tears streamed down my face, and I prayed it would soon be over.
“Katherine?” My body moved, a soft hand pressed against my face. “Katherine, wake up. You’re okay. I’ve got you.”
My eyes snapped open, adjusting to the darkened room. It was a dream—No. It was a nightmare. One that continued to haunt me. Cold sweat coated my body. My arms locked around Cole’s torso, my breathing unsteady as he pushed back the wet tendrils that stuck to my face.
“It was just a dream, Kat. I’m here now.”
But it wasn’t just a dream or a nightmare. I had lived it. For years, someone had broken every pure part of me.
I let the train wreck of emotions flow out of me. I began to weep in Cole’s arms, but he didn’t say a word. He held me close, rubbing my back as I cried. When my body was exhausted, and I could no longer produce any tears, I pulled away from his chest. A sad smile appeared on his face. He was trying to be strong for me—to show me that he was my protector. His forefinger reached forward and swiped the tears from my face. I blinked the last one, and he caught it in his hand. Bringing his lips to mine, he placed a feather-soft kiss there, holding it longer than a simple kiss.
“I’m okay...” I pulled away, filling my lungs with the oxygen it lacked.
“Does it happen often?” His hands held my cheeks.
“No. Not usually this bad.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really.” I couldn’t talk about it. I didn’t want to ruin what was a perfect night. “Can you hold me?”
“Come here.” He patted his bare chest and leaned back on the bed. His arm went wide for
me, and I crawled into the nook he’d created, my breathing and fear both calmed by the steady beat of his heart.
Saturday morning I woke to the bright sunlight over the Manhattan skyline. My neck ached from the position it had been held in for so long. I hadn’t moved from Cole’s hold. His breathing was steady, and I knew he was deep asleep. Pulling away from his grip, I crawled out of bed and made my way to the bathroom.
Once I used the bathroom and washed my face, I headed to the kitchen. The clock on the microwave said it was ten in the morning. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept so late. Since Cole had cooked me dinner, I decided to make us brunch.
His pantry and refrigerator were stocked as though he was a professional chef, and his pots and pans were neatly organized in the cabinets. Someone was a neat freak.
I whipped up a frittata, popped some crescent rolls in the oven and combined some berries for a fruit salad. I couldn’t help the grin that appeared on my face when I began to cut the strawberries. Once I had everything ready, I strolled back to the bedroom, kicking the door open.
“Wakey-wakey, sleepyhead!” I placed the tray of food on the nightstand and leaned forward to kiss Cole’s forehead. His arms reached up and locked around me, and I squealed as the laughter escaped my throat. Cole pinned me to the bed, his arms trapping me under him like a cage.
“Hmm,” I moaned, his lips caressing the side of my neck.
“I’ve never had breakfast in bed.” He lowered himself down my body.
My skin ignited, and my hands cupped his cheek when his lips pressed on my apex. “I’m your dessert, remember?”
Cole’s teeth grazed my soft skin then, with a look of regret, he sat up on the bed, balancing the tray over his lap. I handed him the fork. “I didn’t know what you liked for breakfast so...”
“No, this is perfect.” He stuck the fork into the frittata, and I sat back on Cole’s oversized bed, watching as he scarfed his meal.
“Are you not eating?” he asked as I tucked my pillow behind my back, admiring his bare chest.
“Nope. I had some rolls when they first came out of the oven.”
He took another big bite and smiled at me. His phone began to buzz from its seat on the charger. He ignored it the first two times it rang, but by the third I looked up at him, puzzled. “You going to get that?”
“It’s my mother.” It rang again.
“It might be important.”
“It’s not. I know what she wants.” He dropped the fork onto the plate and reached behind him, taking the phone from his nightstand and exhaling as he began to speak. “Good morning, Mother … Yes, of course ...Very well … Great, I’ll see you there … I love you too.” Cole tossed his phone on the bed and took a sip from his orange juice. “See, not important.”
“It’s cute that you tell your mom that you love her.”
“You caught that, huh?” He dropped his finger to the tip of my nose. “I’m having lunch with her at one today. Would you like to come?”
I felt my eyebrows rise rapidly. “Uh, no, thanks.”
“Kat—”
“Nope. Not happening, I don’t want to meet your mother on a whim when she is expecting you for lunch.”
He lifted the tray over his legs and lowered it to the floor. “I can convince you to go.” He pulled my arms towards him.
“I’ll let you try, but I can promise you it’s not going to happen.”
“Are you making promises you can’t keep?” he whispered. His breath tickled my neck, and my core awoke with his touch.
“You can try, but this is a promise I am keeping.” I moaned the words as his tongue slid behind my ear.
By one in the afternoon, I had a satisfied grin on my face and disheveled hair. Cole pouted as he tucked his shirt into his pants. My knees were weak, and my body relaxed. He had spent the last few hours claiming my body, trying to get me to change my mind, and I’d gone along with the ride, letting him devour me, bringing me to multiple orgasms. And still, I refused to meet his mother.
After Cole had left, I had Thomas bring me to run errands, but first I had to stop at home. Doing the walk of shame, I turned my key in the lock and pushed the door open, tossing my keys into the bowl. I strolled through the house searching for my roommate who was due back from Spain today.
“Look what the cat dragged in!” Lila shouted from the laundry room. I jogged to the room attached to the kitchen and peered in. She stood over the dryer, folding her clothes.
“You just got back from vacation in Europe. Don’t sass me.”
“Yeah, but we took the earlier flight, and I arrived last night to an empty house.”
“You should’ve called.” I stuck my tongue out at her.
She laughed and threw her balled-up socks at me. “I love the freshly fucked face you’re wearing. It really brings out your eyes.”
I brought my shoulders up to my chin. “No complaints from me.”
“Did you have fun at the party?” My eyebrows furrowed. “Caleb told me.”
“Uh … yeah, probably more than I should have.” I leaned into the door frame, smirking as I recalled last night.
“Uh...” Lila mocked me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
I chuckled and walked out of the laundry room. Her footfalls told me she was right behind me. I turned when I reached the doorway, and couldn’t hold back the smile on my face. “Devon was there.”
The laundry basket filled with fresh clothes dropped from her hands and landed with a thump at her feet. “Shut up!” I bit my bottom lip to contain my laughter. “I think we need to kick her ass.” Laughter erupted from within me. “I need details, Kat. Was she a total bitch? Caleb’s told me stories about how desperate she is to have Cole back in her life.” She reached down and picked up the laundry basket again. “I say we find out where she’s staying and go batshit crazy on her ass. Teach her once and for all that she is not getting between you too.”
“Lila, we are not kicking her ass. I treated her with grace and respect, and I’m sure that had her seething at the mouth.”
She pouted. “That’s very grown up of you.”
“We’re having fun, and I’m certain he wants nothing to do with her.”
“Okay, fine. I guess I don’t need to be so petty. ”
I turned out of the kitchen and towards my bedroom. “Hey, enough about me, did you find a venue?”
“We did!” She closed her eyes and sighed. “It’s a beautiful farm in small town in Spain. It’s going to be so beautiful.”
“You have to show me pictures.” I strolled into my room, a giddy smile on my face.
“I’ll send you the link, but we need to get the ball rolling with the bridesmaid dresses.”
“We can go today if you want?”
“No, I have to work a double.” She pouted. “Wednesday?”
“Sure thing.”
Lila walked into her room and started to get ready for her double shift. Quickly I packed a duffle bag with some essentials since I was planning to stay at Cole’s house a few more days. I added a couple sets of workout clothes plus some sexy lingerie he hadn’t seen yet. I said goodbye to Lila, who was busy packing her lunch, and promised to make an appointment for dress shopping.
27
Cole
The hostess pulled the chair out for my mother as I closed the screen on my cell phone and slid it into my jacket pocket. My mother was never late to an appointment. She was always five minutes early, and I knew that—hence why I arrived ten minutes early.
I stood with the sound of the adjacent chair scraping against the marble floor. “Oh, my son.” She laid her hands on my cheeks. I lowered my head down to her and brushed my lips on her forehead.
“Hello, Mother.”
“Would it kill you to call me Mom? Why are you always so formal?” I lifted my shoulders, grinning at her as I held the chair for her to sit. “I haven’t seen you in months. Why have you disappeared, Cole?”
“Work.”
She brought her lips together and shook her head. “You sound like your father.”
I chewed the inside of my lip. As much as I didn’t want to be compared to him, we were identical. Maybe that was the reason I wanted to make it on my own and not have him hand the company over to me.
The waiter returned with a Pellegrino and a bottle of sparkling rose wine.
Once the waiter left with our orders, my mother folded her arms on the white linen tablecloth, her fingers interlocked. She looked up at me with a grin on her face. This wasn’t a mother merely wishing to see her son. She had a motive.
“Theo informed me that he met Katherine.” The words slipped out of her mouth. Of anything she could have possibly said, this wasn’t what I expected. I kept my parents in the dark about my personal life —because of Mary Ann Rhodes. She was itching to throw a wedding, counting down the days until she was a grandmother. “And then I called Reagan, and she informed me that, like Theo, she had met Katherine as well. Nine months ago.”
“I thought Theo was getting cut off,” I said, trying to change the subject. “He’s still not working.”
“Theo is moving to Europe to work with the Zorin family.” She waved her hand dismissively. “He’s dating Clarice, and will go work for her father.”
I scoffed. I knew Theo had no idea how to work a nine to five job. “I’d like to see him work for a living.”
“That’s beside the point. You’ve been seeing someone for nine months, Coleman. And I have to find this out from your younger siblings.”
“It’s not what you think,” I said as the waiter returned with fresh bread for the table.
“Then what is it? You have never been in anything serious since college, and ten years later you still choose your career.”
“Mother…”
“No. I’m serious, Cole.” She lifted a finger to silence me. “I want to meet her.”
“Mom.” I covered her hand with mine. “It’s not what you think. She and I were apart for a few months, but if we do grow to something more serious, of course I’ll bring her to meet you.”
Redemption (Savior Seires Book 2) Page 16