by Virna DePaul
As she fell back on the bed, he knelt over her, kissing a line across her stomach, just above her jeans. Aching for him, Jill propped herself up on her elbows and watched as he undid her zipper with his teeth. He pulled the open jeans a bit lower, then grazed her lower stomach with his mouth, his tongue caressing in circles, stopping only to slowly pull her jeans down her legs. His mouth followed, tasting every inch of her. She could hardly hold still and squirmed with desire.
Despite her pleas, whimpers, and moans, Cole took his time, tantalizing and torturing her. After kissing her legs for what felt like an eternity, he finally made his way to her panties, sliding them down partway with his teeth, then kneading through the cloth with his fingers on her sensitive areas. She pushed against his mouth, wanting more. Wanting her clothes off. Wanting him to make love to her for hours.
Pushed to her limit, she gripped him by the hair and wrapped her legs around his torso. Finally, he removed her panties completely. When she was naked, she sat up, reaching to take his clothes off, when Cole read her mind and pulled his shirt off.
She expected him to come right back, but instead he paused, taking in the sight of her, his chest rising and falling rapidly, like he’d been running. He was a glorious sight—all muscled frame and artful tattoos. Knowing she might not have this chance ever again, she emblazoned the image of him onto her brain.
Finally, he pulled off his jeans and crawled over to her naked, meeting her mouth-to-mouth for a long, wild kiss. Jill’s body trembled for him, but still, he kissed her and held her close.
“I want you to remember this,” he whispered by her ear. “I want you to remember me.”
Oh, she would. But would he remember her?
She promised herself she would make him remember her, leave a beautiful lasting impression on him forever. Opening her legs seductively, she invited him in, and he slid into her, sending ripples of pleasure up her body, which swelled to the breaking point. She gripped him tighter than ever before. “Cole!” She fell back on the bed, panting, savoring every last moment.
When she reopened her eyes, Cole hovered over her with a wide smile. “The night’s still young, Jill. And I intend to make the most of every second.”
“I want you to,” she said, flipping him over, straddling him, taking in his awestruck smile. “Every precious second.”
Chapter Fourteen
Cole’s alarm tone went off just as the sun began streaming in through the blinds. His eyes opened slightly, and he ran his hand across the bed. It was empty.
“Jill?”
He shot up in bed and looked around in the early morning light. Was she in the bathroom, or had she already…left? He checked the floor. Her clothes were gone. He let out a slow, shaky breath, unsure what his heart was feeling. He’d only known her a few days. How was it possible for one woman to entrench herself so deeply inside him?
He tried reminding himself what he knew was smart—don’t get attached to anyone. You don’t want responsibility that will tie you down just when you have the chance to experience complete freedom again. But one, nagging fact remained—
He wanted freedom but he also wanted Jill.
He threw himself back on his pillow, reminding himself they lived in different worlds with different lifestyles. She was completely dedicated to her daycare and her business partner, so Cole doubted she’d consider relocating. Why would she for him, anyway? He was a reckless biker who picked up girls from bars and took comfort from them when he needed it but was too selfish to change his life to accommodate them for anything more.
No, she’d done the smart thing and cut him loose. Good girl, Jill.
Several hours later, he took one last lingering look around the empty house, then closed the front door with a heavy heart. I’ll miss you, Mom. A small sense of accomplishment comforted him. He’d done it; he’d come here and had taken care of things, with Jill’s help.
And he was going to miss her, too.
The movers picked up the last of the boxes Cole had set outside for them. He shook his keys, ready to get his Harley when he saw Jill watering some potted plants on her front stoop. His heart jumped. “Good morning!”
She stiffened and shot him a dim smile. “You off?” she asked politely.
So this was how she was going to handle things, pretending that his leaving meant nothing. That their time together had already been forgotten.
“I’m on my way out,” he said, gesturing to the moving truck. “But I wanted to say thank you. For everything.”
“As I’ve said before, it was my pleasure.”
“Jill…” He sighed. He ran a hand through his hair and crossed their lawns, stopping within several feet of her. “You have no idea how much you helped me.”
That wasn’t exactly what he wanted to tell her, but it was a start. Still, nothing more came out, and they both stood there in awkward silence, taking in each other’s miserable looks. Finally, Jill put down her watering can and stepped toward him. He met her halfway and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to inhale her unique and lovely scent. He held her tightly, not wanting to let go. She didn’t step back either.
“Listen,” she said into his neck. “I know you’re going to be busy, starting the new office in San Francisco, but maybe when you have free time, we could still see each other.”
Cole stiffened. Of course he wanted to see her again, and plenty of people had long distance relationships. If others could make it work, why couldn’t they? Yet something nagged at him, insisting it wouldn’t be wise. She’d end up wanting more, as she should, because she deserved the best. But he wouldn’t be able to give her what she needed. No, she deserved a man who would make her the center of his universe, a man who wouldn’t leave her for a career or to chase a rogue wind down an extended blacktop.
He couldn’t—would not—do that to her.
She would end up resenting him forever.
Jill loosened her hold on him and leaned back to gauge his response to that. He shook his head. “Jill, I want to spend more time with you. Of course I do. It’s just… I’m going to be busy, too busy to give you the time and attention you deserve. You understand that, don’t you?”
Behind them, a car door shut, followed by the call of a young boy. Cole glanced up to see Stanley running up the path while his father stood on the other side of the car, staring at them over the roof.
“Right.” Jill nodded, her words suddenly terse. “Of course, you’re right.” She took several swift steps away from him. “Well, take care, Cole.”
His heart clenched as he watched her take Stanley’s hand and walk toward the house without even glancing back. He could do nothing, say nothing. Could only watch her head inside, and close the door behind her.
* * *
Once inside, Jill frantically blinked back tears, forcing a cheerful note into her voice as she spoke with Stanley. Then, someone knocked on her door. Cole, she thought, her heart skipping with endless possibilities. Had he changed his mind?
Don’t be a fool, Jill, she told herself.
She’d put herself out there, raised a question in hopes that he might consider it, and he’d shot her down, letting her know exactly where she stood with him. She’d been a bit of fun, someone who’d helped him through a difficult time, but now he was returning to his real life, a life that didn’t include her.
When she looked through the peephole, she saw Jason, Stanley’s father. She pasted on a polite smile before opening the door.
“Good morning,” Jason said, peering in.
“Hi. Did Stanley forget something?”
He took a step into the house, and instinctively, she took one back.
“I was wondering if maybe you’d like to have dinner with me sometime? If you’d like to go on a date?” he said.
She glanced at Stanley, who had sat down at the mini table and was now drawing. “I’m sorry, Jason,” she said, finally, “but I’m seeing someone.” At least I was until a few hours ago.
&nb
sp; Jason frowned. “Is it the guy next door? The motorcycle guy that Stanley goes on about?”
“I’m sorry. But I’m not comfortable discussing my personal life. Thank you for the invitation, but Stanley and I should probably prepare for the other kids to arrive now.”
Instead of leaving, he continued to stare at her, which made her heart race. Nervously, she licked her lips, cursing when Jason’s gaze followed the movement.
“Yeah, okay,” Jason finally said. “I’ll see you later.”
“Sounds good.” She turned away and closed the door. “Hey, squirt. You ready for some pancakes?” she said to Stanley just as the doorbell rang again. Thank God this time it was Anaya and her mother.
The day was a whirlwind of activity, and Jill kept busy enough that she kept her thoughts about Cole to a minimum.
Later, after all the children were gone, Liz took her hand and led her to the sofa. “Tell me,” she said gently.
Jill smiled sadly. “He’s gone. For good. He’s starting a new job here in LA then moving forward with his plans to move to San Francisco.”
“He could come back. You two could…”
Her words trailed off. Jill shook her head and pressed her lips together doing her best not to cry, but her expression crumpled, and tears filled her eyes.
“Oh, honey, I’m sorry,” Liz said, giving Jill a hug and patting her back.
Jill hugged her friend back tightly for several seconds, then pulled back with a sigh. “He was honest with me from the start. I can’t blame him.”
“Still sucks. Still hurts. And still makes me want to fill his bike’s gas tank with sugar.”
Jill laughed. “Right.” She folded and unfolded and refolded a napkin in her hand, thinking about where she’d go from here.
“So what now?” Liz asked, as if reading her mind.
Jill took a deep breath. “Movie tonight? Some girl time is exactly what I need.”
Liz smiled. “Of course, honey. My treat.”
Hours later, the movie about an alien spaceship found in a Florida suburb worked to take her mind off her troubles, and Jill and Liz ended the night with a drink at a different bar from where her troubles began in the first place. Still, just the atmosphere was enough to dredge the memories back up again.
Since she was obviously poor company, she ended the night early and let Liz go home. But Jill wasn’t ready to do the same, and she needed a few things from the store anyway. An hour later, mission almost accomplished, Jill headed home. After leaving her groceries in the kitchen, she headed straight to her bedroom then her bathroom, flicked the light on, and…
Someone shoved her hard. Crying out, she flew sideways, slamming into the bathroom counter, bouncing off, and hitting the floor sideways. Piercing pain shot through her face and arm.
The room spun. She tried to get her bearings. Tried to defend herself and scoot away from the door. But her body froze. Something crashed off a shelf, and a door slammed. She held her breath and listened for what seemed like years. When it was obvious her intruder was gone, she managed to pull her cell phone out and dial 911 with shaky fingers.
Even now, he was all she could think about. More than the police, more than anything, she wanted one person at her side—Cole.
Chapter Fifteen
After leaving his mom’s house and Jill behind, Cole spent the day at home researching Senator Taylor and the Staples Center layout. He could have gone into the office, but he knew the memories of Jill spread out on his desk would haunt him, and he wasn’t quite ready for that yet. Didn’t matter. Even in his own apartment, where Jill had never been, thoughts of her plagued him. He’d even started to see her figure and face in his favorite painting, and would stare at it for minutes on end like some lovesick fool.
When he left for his eight a.m. meeting with the senator the next morning, Cole was thinking of Jill yet again. Riding his bike through the city, he pictured having Jill with him, perched on the back. She’d loved riding the Hog. He could still hear her happy squeals when he took the corners hard and sharp. But he needed to stop thinking about her, get his head in the game again, score this job, and move forward with starting up the business in San Francisco. During the process, he’d arrange to take time off for the Ride Home.
For the first time since leaving Jill, he felt a tinge of interest in something outside of her. Riding the blacktop for weeks with his friends, with no responsibilities or difficult decisions to make, would be incredible. He needed something to look forward to.
He parked his bike in a garage and walked two blocks to the Hilton on Grand Avenue. When he entered the lobby, a woman in a black dress and heels paused on her way toward the bar and gave him an up-and-down look that took in his business suit clad body. She raised an appreciative eyebrow and stopped, standing straight in his path. She was slender with wavy, long dark hair that reminded him of Jill’s. A businesswoman, and a successful one, if he were to guess by the designer dress and shoes.
Cole slowed his pace. She was waiting for a sign—a subtle smile or nod. But he continued walking past her. Another woman didn’t interest him. All he’d do was compare her to Jill anyway, and that knowledge made him come to an abrupt halt. He found himself rethinking his stance about not seeing Jill. Again. Maybe he’d made a mistake. Maybe—
He shook his head. Cut it out, Cole. Business. Keep your mind on business. A simple life, attachment free. Who knew what kind of adventures awaited him in San Francisco and beyond? He wanted to explore the world, feel the rush of the wind against his face as he rode his bike on the open road. That was what he’d wanted his whole life and he finally had the opportunity to do it. If he tried to compromise for Jill, he’d only end up disappointing her.
Firming his jaw along with his resolve, he found the elevator and took it up to the top floor. He located the penthouse, tapping on the door. A few seconds later, Cole was escorted inside to wait in the living area, where he remained standing.
“Well, good morning.”
Cole looked up to see a sharply-dressed, very fit, middle-aged man with perfectly coiffed silver hair standing in the doorway of the bedroom.
“Good morning. I’m Cole Novak.” He extended his hand.
The man strolled forward and shook hands with him. “Leonard Taylor. I’m pleased to meet you, Cole. I’ve heard great things about you.”
“Thank you, sir. I’m pleased to meet you, too.”
“Leonard is fine while it’s just the two of us.”
“Yes, sir,” Cole said.
Senator Taylor grinned. At least the guy had a sense of humor. Cole liked him, and for the next half hour, they discussed the job. At one point, Taylor offered to order up breakfast, and Cole politely declined.
“You sure? A man needs his protein. From the looks of you, you’ll work it off before the week is over.”
Cole grinned. “Yes, sir. You look like you’re no stranger to the gym yourself.”
“I was a bit of a gym rat as a young man. Now I prefer my morning runs when I’m at home.”
“Is your home in Sacramento?” Cole asked.
“My primary home is there. I have one in Orange County as well. I normally stay there when I’m in town, but it’s going through some renovations at the moment, so it wasn’t ready for me. I grew up in OC. I’m a SoCal boy at heart. Dodger’s fan, USC alumnus, Laker’s fan, the whole nine yards.”
“I’m right there with you,” Cole said, nodding.
“You grew up here too?” the senator asked him.
“Yes, sir,” Cole said. “In Glendale, not Orange,” he clarified.
“Do you still have family in LA?”
“No, sir,” Cole said.
“Not even a girl?” The senator paused and shook his head. “I guess that’s a little personal for the first day, but the look on your face says it all.”
What look? Cole frowned, not about to discuss Jill with a stranger no matter how much Cole liked him.
“Forgive me. I’m just feeling no
stalgic today. I had an amazing woman in my life at one time, two of them actually. One, I lost to divorce. The other to…circumstance. And my own cowardice. I don’t know why I’m telling you that,” he added with a bittersweet laugh. “The experience taught me a lesson, albeit a little late. Follow your heart. To hell with fear or worry or pride.”
The tangent the man had taken seemed a little unusual to Cole. As did the way he stared expectantly at Cole. As if he really wanted Cole to hear his message and apply it. If Cole didn’t know better, he’d think the senator was talking to him about Jill specifically. But that was impossible. Besides, following one’s heart had to be tempered by logic. And careful weighing of the risks and benefits to all persons involved, not just himself. “Right. Smart words, sir.” Cole stood. “Well, it’s been a pleasure talking to you. If you decide Frontline is right for the job—”
“Already have.” The senator smiled. “I’d love to work with you, Cole.”
Cole smiled, and though he should’ve felt a lot happier than he did, he couldn’t bring himself to completely feel it. In the lobby, Cole’s phone buzzed. He took a quick glance at the screen and recoiled when he saw Jill’s number. He immediately answered. “Jill?”
“This is Liz,” said a woman—Jill’s partner, he remembered. “Jill’s in the hospital. Someone broke into the daycare, into her house…”
It took him a moment to calm the blinding rage filling his mind and body. After getting as much information from Liz as he could, he took off faster than the cruiser was meant for—more like a crotch rocket speeding through the streets.
Chapter Sixteen
“You did what?” Jill croaked, aghast. “Why did you call Cole?”
Her body hurt all over, but now a different kind of pain jabbed into her heart.
“Jill, he cares about you,” Liz said. “He wanted to come.”
What?