by Virna DePaul
Jill plastered on a polite smile. “Oh, how lovely. Thank you.” She tried not to sound too happy, so he wouldn’t pay her another compliment. He was only being polite, but still, she didn’t want to encourage him, either.
“Evening,” a male voice said behind them.
Jill took the opportunity to step back and out of Jason’s touch. “Cole! Hello!” She smiled at Cole and tried sending him please-help-me vibes through her widened eyes. “Come on in and I’ll get you what you needed.”
Cole apparently recognized the discomfort in her stance and gaze. He moved in a little closer. “Yeah…the thing…I was coming to get. ’Scuse me,” he said to Jason, so he could get past him.
Jason hadn’t stopped staring at Jill but eventually turned to face Cole. Stanley darted out the door and past his father, his head down, but Jason didn’t move. The two men stood with their feet braced apart, sizing each other up.
“Cole Novak,” Cole said with his hand out.
Jill let out a breath as Jason shook hands with him. “Jason Baker.”
Cole nodded. “Stanley’s dad, I take it.”
Something flashed over Jason’s face, but Jill couldn’t figure out the emotion. Instead of glancing at his son, Jason shoved past Cole and walked out the door. He paused halfway down the walkway and turned around.
Cole slid one massive arm across her shoulders and said softly, “Baby, I couldn’t stop thinking about you all day.” Suddenly, Cole leaned down and planted a kiss on her mouth—not a slow and sensual one, but a quick appetizer of a kiss—then he shut the door.
“Oh, my God, Cole, thank you!” Without thinking about it, Jill rested her head against Cole’s chest and took several breaths.
“What the hell was that?” He nudged her back to look in her eyes.
“Oh, I’m sorry…I…” She immediately felt her cheeks heat. Maybe she shouldn’t have reached out and touched Cole to calm her nerves?
“No, not you,” he said, lacing his arm around her shoulder again. “I mean, what the hell was that vibe between you and that guy?”
“Nothing.” She waved a hand.
“I’m not buying it. As soon as I saw your face, I knew whatever was happening wasn’t good. Has he been causing problems?”
“No, no problems. He brings Stanley here five days a week and now he’s picking him up later and later.” She didn’t want to mention how she suspected Jason was interested in her. She was afraid Cole would think she was trying to make him jealous, but then again, it was probably all very clear from the interaction he saw.
“Hmm, maybe he’s just looking for an excuse to see you every day and get you alone,” Cole said. “Guess I can’t blame the guy.” He ran his knuckles down her arm. The touch wasn’t exactly intimate, but it still sent shivers up her arms and back. “You sure you’re okay?”
“You’re not mad I snuck a kiss?”
“No. But you call that a kiss?” she said, clucking her tongue. Oh, man, she was flirting, and she knew it. She could still taste his lips on hers, but it wasn’t enough. It was only a teaser that had made her crave more. A lot more.
“Is that a challenge or an invitation?” He stepped even closer.
Why did he have to smell so good on top of looking like a freaking Greek god? Her heartbeat rang in her ears as she breathed him in. It should be illegal for any one man to smell that nice. How was she supposed to resist him?
She couldn’t. Not anymore.
She wanted this and didn’t care if it was right or not. Cole was leaving. But he wanted her, and she couldn’t resist the chance to enjoy him again.
“Do you want me to give you a real kiss, Jill?” He lowered his voice. The effect was the same as a sledgehammer tearing down one last piece of wall…
She reached for him and laid her palm flat on his chest. He understood the invitation and closed the gap between them, sliding a hand behind her head to tilt her face up to his mouth. He kissed her hungrily, pulling her tighter against him, one hand roving up her back while the other slid down her waistline to her ass.
She pulled back just enough to say, “I wanted you so bad last night. Since the moment I walked out of that hotel. I know I said we should stay away from each other because you’re leaving, but…I don’t want to stay away anymore. I want to have you again, Cole, even if it’s just once more time. But I don’t want to play games with your head.”
“I know. Believe me, I get it. I don’t think you’re playing games. I know you’re just trying to do what’s right. To protect us both.” He pressed his hips against hers. “But God, I want you in my arms again, too.” He kissed her hard, alternating between sweet kisses and devouring her, then nibbled down her neck.
His hands teased all over her body, just the way she wanted. “Yes, yes, please. I want more.” She held fast to his arms, letting herself feel lost in their strength.
Knowing what she wanted, sensing what she needed, he lifted her up and carried her down the hall, looking for her bedroom. Once there, he playfully tossed her on the bed. “Now, if I recall correctly, sex was only on the table for one night. But from what you just said, it looks like kissing is okay now.”
Jill shook her head, completely out of breath. “No. I mean yes. But I want more than—”
“Shh. Let’s start slow. So I know you’re with me every step of the way. Kissing is okay?” he asked, luring a reply out of her mouth with a soft kiss to her top lip.
Jill nodded her head. Vigorously.
He smirked and proceeded to slowly pull his shirt over his head, revealing his hard pecs and perfectly defined abdominal muscles. How he could think she was ever going to just kiss him was beyond her, but she hoped she was right and that he was going to take things well beyond that…eventually.
Shamelessly panting and wanting to urge him along, Jill sat up to pull her own shirt off.
“I thought we were just kissing,” he teased.
“We can kiss other places. I can think of one particular place I want to kiss you that I haven’t in a while.” Boldly, she reached out to cup him between his legs.
His eyes darkened and he raised one eyebrow. Gently, he removed Jill’s hand and pinned it beside her on the bed. “Just kissing, remember?”
“Guidelines are for breaking!” She gasped out the words, unable to hold her body still. “Didn’t you know that?”
“Hmm, I thought you might say that. Well…I suppose you can look, too.” He moved his hands down, ever so slowly, reaching for his belt. He took his time pulling the belt through the loop to loosen it. By the time he finally let his jeans shake loose, his rock hard cock tented his boxer-briefs, making Jill’s body clench with need. “Do you want to look at more? Kiss more?” he asked. “You tell me, Jill.”
“Hmm, hmm,” was all she could reply.
She tried reaching for her shirt, but he took her hands and pinned them down. Then, he lowered his boxers an inch and asked, “Are you sure?”
“Yes!” she finally said.
“Positive?” He pulled his boxers up again. “Because if you put your mouth on me, I’m not sure I could stick to just kissing. I’d want to touch you. Fuck you.”
She moaned.
“Is that what you want?”
“Yes!”
He crawled up the bed toward her, and the sight of that made her instantly wet—well, wetter. She craned upward, wanting his mouth on hers, but he went for her ear instead. Feeling his warm lips on her earlobe and then her neck sent shivers up her arms. She gasped. Her entire body felt on fire, her core throbbing.
Cole kissed her neck and flipped her over, then hovered over her body without making contact, which had her writhing underneath him. His lips worked circles on her back as she arched her back up to find his body. He didn’t allow her to touch him but instead kissed a trail down her spine to the small of her back, where he mumbled into her skin.
Jill moaned. What a terrible, mean man he was. She bit her lip and smiled into her pillow.
“I
love running my lips all over you and feeling you wiggle. I admit, if all you let me do was kiss you, I’d die a happy man. Frustrated, but happy.”
He touched her back lightly, running his fingertips up and down, and then around her waist to the dip by her hip. She almost screamed from anticipation and involuntarily arched her ass up into him. Cole’s other hand caressed her breast before sliding down her jeans and finding her slick and longing for him inside her panties. “Is touching okay?” he asked.
“Oh, my God…” Jill panted into the bed, gripping the comforter in both hands as he ran his finger in and out, slowly at first, then faster. Suddenly, he leaned down so his face fell next to hers. He kissed her mouth while working her, their tongues mingling.
She heard a sound behind her and realized he was pushing down his jeans. She hoped he was after a condom—she needed him more than she’d ever needed anything in her life right now. He straightened to roll the condom on and started to turn her over.
“No!” She stopped him. “Like this.”
“Like this?” He positioned himself behind her, pressing his hardness against her ass, teasing and rubbing. When she couldn’t take it anymore, she pushed back. He groaned and abruptly pulled her jeans and panties off completely before immediately pressing against her again.
He slid into her from behind, his thick heat filling her core, making her feel fuller than she’d ever felt.
God, it was heaven. She loved the feel of his hands and the feel of him inside her, and especially the feel of his body slapping against her ass. She couldn’t believe how horny and naughty he made her! “Harder,” she begged.
He gave it to her the way she wanted until she couldn’t take it anymore. Thankfully, he was there too and together they gasped and shuddered in orgasm. Collapsing onto the bed, they breathed heavily. A wave of pleasure rolled through her body. She closed her eyes to fully enjoy the erotic sensations.
When she opened her eyes, she found Cole watching her, a contented look on his face. Spent and happy, they gazed into each other’s eyes while he lazily ran a finger along her arm and over her elbow. “You really are beautiful,” he said, his voice soft.
“You’re beautiful, too.” She smiled.
“Beautiful enough to want to spend more time with me?” His voice was hopeful but ready for rejection just the same. “I know you said just one more time, Jill, but I want more than that.”
Her smile dimmed. “Cole, this was amazing, but…”
“Look,” he said softly. “You know exactly where I’m at in my life. That I can’t make you any promises beyond being here for the next couple of days. Maybe it’s wrong of me to ask for more time with you but… We’re great in bed together. Of course I want more of that. But that’s not all I want. I want to enjoy your company. I want to get to know you better. It’d be a waste if we let the opportunity to spend more time together go by, don’t you think?”
She nibbled her lip and kept her eyes closed. She wasn’t sure of anything at this point. Why not just go for whatever the universe threw her way? “So what would be the rules? We’ll…date? For the time we have left together?”
He ran a finger up her thigh. “What do you say to having a whatever-we-want-to-do rule?”
“Starting when?”
“How about we have dinner first. Then I show you exactly what it is I have in mind.”
She opened her eyes to gaze into his deep brown ones and smiled, feeling good, feeling okay and at peace. What fun was life if she never gave into adventure?
Besides, she wasn’t going to have a choice when Cole left and that wasn’t all bad. She wouldn’t have to worry about him falling for her when she didn’t know what the future had in store. When she didn’t know if someday soon, she’d begin to forget who he was and what they’d meant to each other. Yes, she’d have to deal with the pain of him eventually leaving, but she could enjoy every minute with him she had left, without worry or guilt on his behalf. “Let’s do it.”
* * *
An hour later, after eating take-out food at Cole’s mom’s place, Jill helped him do the dishes then leaned back against the counter. “So,” she said, rubbing her hands together, “which room are you in the process of packing?”
“Mom’s bedroom.” He grimaced and ran a hand through his hair. It had to be done, but he certainly wasn’t looking forward to it.
She winced in sympathy. “Yeah that might be a hard one. Unless…”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Unless what?”
She smiled mischievously. “Let me ask you this. Have you packed up your old room yet? Because your mom showed it to me once.”
“And?”
“And it was so…teenage boy.”
He chucked. “Probably a good thing since that’s what I was at the time. What are you getting at?”
“Well, I was just thinking, with all those posters of sexy women on the wall, I’ll bet you probably had some strong teenage fantasies in that room.”
“That would be a good bet. So..?”
“So I think we should start packing by splitting up.”
“Doesn’t sound like much fun.”
“Well, now, just hear me out. Maybe you could start packing up your mom’s room while I pack up you room. And if you make enough progress, you can come visit me. And maybe there will even be rewards in it for you.”
“Ooo, positive reinforcement,” he crooned. “I like it. So what kind of reward can I expect? I mean, if I know ahead of time what incentive to look forward to, I’ll do a better job.”
“Hmm, let’s see. Maybe a kiss?” She tapped her pursed lips and smiled.
“My mom has a lot of stuff in her bedroom. As much as I enjoy your kisses, that’s a lot for one kiss.”
“Wow, and here I thought one kiss would do for the entire house,” she laughed. “Hmm. Well, okay then, how about for each box you fill, I take off one piece of clothing. Does that work?”
His smile widened. He took her hand and gently guided her to his old bedroom. “Now, that’s a deal…but as a bonus, when they’re all off, I get that kiss. Sound fair?”
“More than fair,” she said.
“Great. Prepare to reward me,” he said before turning to stride into his mother’s bedroom. Grabbing a box, he quickly but carefully began packing up his mother’s things.
Ten minutes later, done with the first box, he strode into his room, where Jill was carefully putting his various trophies and frames in a box. She whipped around at the sound of his voice. “Wow. Really? That was fast?”
“Like I said, I’m motivated.”
“Well, you know what they say…” She stood. “Patience,” she said, unbuttoning the top button of her blouse, “is a virtue.”
“Virtues are for schmucks. I want my reward.”
“My, my, you are rough around the edges, aren’t you?” She gave him a playful look. “Maybe I should button this back up and start with my shoes instead.”
“No! I was kidding.” He sat on the edge of the bed. “Go ahead…but slower this time.”
She rolled her eyes and undid the next button, then the next, until he could see the lace trimmings of her red bra against her pale skin.
Cole whistled. “Yeah baby, that’s it. Take it off.”
She blushed but didn’t stop moving. She turned around and wiggled her ass, then turned back and swayed for him. When she got to the last button and let the blouse slip halfway down her arms, he took in the sight of her bare shoulders and plump, rounded breasts and felt himself get instantly hard. He didn’t know how he’d stand several more boxes worth before he got to touch her again. When she finally removed the whole blouse, she twirled it around on her finger and tossed it at him. He caught it, bringing it to his face and inhaling deeply. “Can I have my bonus early?”
Standing there in a red lace bra and jeans, with her hair slightly askew, thanks to the dancing and undressing, she was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. Yet even while practicing the art of seduction, an
d doing a damned good job of it, there was something sweet and innocent about her. It turned him on more than anything—the contrast and contradictions that made her a puzzle he’d probably never solve.
She wrinkled her nose. “Let me think…um…no. You may have your bonus when you’ve earned it,” she said in her teacher voice.
He had to admit, the voice turned him on. What would she do next? Make him sit in time out? Cole groaned. “Why is it you sound like a school teacher but look like a femme fatale?”
She grinned and then went back to packing, but only after shooting him a challenging look.
With a grin and a shake of his head, Cole went back to his mother’s bedroom. In no time, he’d packed another two boxes and was back in his room. By the time he sat on the bed this time, she was already out of her jeans and standing in her bra and panties, a pretty flush warming her skin. “I guess I should have layered today,” she said.
“I disagree,” he said, reaching out to caress her sides. “Now you owe me one more article of clothing. The question is…top or bottom?”
She reached back and unhooked the bra, sending a shiver down his back, but she held fast to it, letting only the straps fall to her sides. He thought it was both amazing and arousing that less than an hour after he’d stroked and licked and sucked her breasts, she could still be shy about baring herself to him. “You’re gorgeous, Jill. Show me your pretty breasts and toss me your bra.”
With a coy smile, she did. Taking in the sight of her, all dainty curves, creamy flesh, and tight pink nipples, he groaned harshly.
He rubbed the delicate lacey material between his fingers. “Can I have my bonus now?”
“Nope, you have one more box to go.”
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and considered kissing her to get her to change her mind. But by the flush on her face and the intensity in her eyes, she was enjoying their game. Drawing things out. So was he. He opened his eyes, stood, caressed her cheek with his fingertips, then turned on his heel to return to pack. Ten minutes later, he had finished stuffing a box full of his mother’s yarn, knitting needles, and miscellaneous sewing paraphernalia.