by Cathryn Fox
She trailed along behind Madison, but when they reached the small kitchen, Madison spun around, eyes wide. “So…?” she questioned.
“So…what?” Haley asked in return as she stepped past her friend to grab three sodas from the fridge.
“Oh, come on, don’t give me that.” Madison held her finger out and waved it up and down. “Just look at you. You’ve got a perma smile going and you don’t even know it.”
Haley handed the cans to Madison and grabbed three more. “You’re one to talk. Christ, girl, what has Sean done to you, anyway?”
“Everything and anything I want him to.” Madison’s mouth curled mischievously, reminding Haley of the cat that swallowed the canary. “But enough about me,” she said, refusing to change the subject. “I want to hear all about Cole. Is he as good as his reputation promises?”
“No,” Haley answered honestly, as memories of the way he worked his tongue on her clit came rushing back. “He’s as bad as his reputation promises.”
“Ooohhh,” Madison said. “Tell me more.”
Haley got quiet for a moment, then said, “Actually, I was wondering. Since Cole is one of Sean’s best friends, I thought you might know if Cole has ever had a serious relationship or is he simply into casual sex?”
Madison angled her head and eyed her suspiciously. “And why might you be asking that?”
“No reason.” Honestly, she wasn’t even sure why herself. Hadn’t she just lectured herself on keeping this weekend about sex and sex only?
“I thought you didn’t do relationships and that you liked your space.”
“I don’t and I do,” she rushed out in order. “Just curious is all.” She gave an easy shrug. “I guess. I don’t know. I guess he’s just different from the guys I’m used to.”
“He’s a nice guy, Haley, and he comes from a nice family.”
That had her thinking about his siblings and how they called her his girlfriend. It was so strange how that made her feel like a giddy high school junior again. “Did you know he has two younger brothers?”
Madison nodded. “He’s putting them both through university. Paying the full shot.”
“Really?”
“That’s what Sean said, but I don’t think Sean was supposed to tell me that. So between us, okay?”
Haley nodded and thought more about Cole and his brothers, specifically the comment about them making something of themselves. Not everyone had to go to college to make something of themselves. Cole was a prime example. The guy was an amazing athlete with a million adoring fans who loved him. But it did make her wonder. Did he think he was any less worthy because he wasn’t college educated?
“He never was a stellar student, but was damn determined to use his soccer skills so he could take care of his family. He bought his folks a new house within the city limits, but they refused to move. Now, when Cole isn’t training, he’s in that big, old, empty place all by himself.”
Haley pondered things over and wondered why Cole had neglected to tell her this when they were talking about his family. Then she realized why. He was a humble guy, sincere and private, and he wasn’t seeking approval from her or anyone else.
The truth was, when the guys she knew did good deeds—and they weren’t doing charity work for altruistic purposes—they needed to scream it from the rooftops so they could receive their proper stroking.
“What are you two talking about?” Cole asked as he sauntered up behind them. “A man could die of thirst waiting for the both of you to return.”
His warm, familiar scent wrapped around her and instantly evoked a myriad of emotions. Fighting off a shiver, she turned around, quirked a brow and asked, “Were you eavesdropping?”
Looking uncharacteristically sheepish, he said, “Nope, Carter sent me in for the buns.” He grabbed the two packages off the counter. “See?”
With that, the three of them made their way outside. Cole sat next to Haley at the picnic table; the other four sat across from them. Cole’s tone was light, conversational as they all talked about nothing and everything. Night had settled around them by the time they finished eating, and as everyone relaxed, Cole climbed from the table and started the bonfire. Allison disappeared into the house for a moment. Once Cole had the blaze roaring, he sat back at the table. When Allison returned, she appeared to have some old board game in her hands.
“Look what I found,” she said.
Cole smiled. “That belongs to Jamie.” Something in his eyes softened when he shook his head and added, “When we were kids he used to beg me to play.”
“Did you?” Allison asked.
“Had to. It was the only way I could shut him up.” As Haley watched Cole, she could see how much he treasured those times; it was written all over his face. It warmed her heart to realize how much he loved his brothers. How family oriented he was. Something her own family wasn’t.
Allison pulled the lid off the box and placed it on the table. “Think he’ll mind if we play?”
Haley glanced at the cover. “Snakes and Ladders?” She looked at Allison, perplexed. “Are you serious? I haven’t played that since I was twelve.”
“I played it last week,” Allison said.
Haley crinkled her nose in surprise. “Really?”
“Yeah, it’s fun. Especially when you play it my way.” She pulled out the board and placed it in the center of the picnic table. “Who’s in?”
Carter glanced at Allison, and when Haley saw a bad-boy glint in his eyes, a glint full of sexy secrets, she knew Allison played by a different set of rules than the ones she was used to. She also suspected that if this was anything like the game of strip poker she’d stumbled upon, tonight was going to get a whole hell of a lot more interesting.
“I’m in,” Sean and Madison said in unison.
Haley turned to Cole to gauge his reaction, but when heat arced between them, it was all the response she needed.
“I’m in too,” she answered.
Allison handed out the pieces and explained the rules. “Okay, when you hit a snake, instead of sliding down, you have a choice—truth or dare. If you follow through, you don’t have to take the slide.”
“Who asks the questions or sets the dare?” Haley asked.
“Whoever the player wants.”
“Simple enough,” Cole said, heat dancing in his eyes as his gaze probed hers.
The look on his face lit a fire inside her, and deep in her gut she knew there wasn’t going to be anything simple about this game, especially if someone asked her about her feelings for Cole, because in all honesty, she wasn’t so sure herself. Not anymore. Not after what transpired between them on the dock. It was crazy that one sexy interlude with a sweet guy like him had managed to do irreparable damage to her heart.
As they settled in for the game, Allison opened a bottle of wine for the girls and the boys grabbed a few beers. The scent of burning lumber and the snap, crackle and pop of the dry wood made it feel so warm and cozy, and she found herself relaxing into Cole.
The dice was rolled and, two minutes into the game, Madison was the first to hit a snake, although she seemed rather thrilled by it. Good God, Sean really had given her back her confidence, and Haley couldn’t be more thrilled to see her friend so happy.
“I pick dare,” she said and pointed to Cole. “What would you have me do, Cole?”
Cole swallowed and his glance went from Madison, to Haley, back to Madison again. Haley’s stomach tightened. Oh boy, was he going to do what she thought he was going to do? They both knew how much Madison liked an audience, and Haley wondered if he’d noted her own heated reactions when she’d witnessed Madison and Sean having sex earlier.
Cole grinned and said, “How about you give Sean a lap dance.”
Cheers rang out from the guys, and Allison shot Haley a grin before flicking on her iPod. Music filled the air and, inhibitions aside, Madison climbed onto her boyfriend’s lap and began gyrating. In that instant, as Haley’s gaze followed her fr
iend’s actions and her body moistened all over, she discovered something very important about herself.
She liked watching.
Who knew she was a regular old voyeur?
She wondered if Cole liked watching too. After all, he was the one who suggested the lap dance in the first place. Then again, maybe he’d only suggested it because he knew what it did to her. Either way, she was interested to find out. As she considered it further, an erotically mischievous idea hit, one she planned to put into action tomorrow, first light.
Cole shifted closer to Haley, and when she felt his hand on her lap, her pussy moistened, eager for his touch. His hand climbed higher and her breath hitched, and she wondered if he was actually going to touch her, right there at the picnic table with the other couples so close.
Madison squealed and pulled her T-shirt up to expose her breasts to Sean, who groaned out loud in response. Haley grinned at her friend’s antics but found herself more caught up in what Cole was doing between her legs than the peep show Madison was giving her man.
Cole eased a finger inside the cuff of her shorts, and she could hear his throat work as he dipped into her heat. He gave a soft stroke over her moist sex, and the gentle pressure on her clit nearly shut down her brain.
A rush of sexual energy hit her hard when he leaned into her and whispered, “So wet.” His grin was slow, sexy. “Does watching them make you this way, Haley?”
Oh, she was pretty certain he already knew the answer to that question. Before she could respond, Allison turned the music off and grabbed the dice. Taking her cue, Madison extricated herself from Sean’s lap and sat back down beside him, but Haley didn’t miss the way Madison’s glance kept straying back to the firefighter she was madly in love with, which gave Haley the distinct impression that her friend was no longer fully engaged in the game.
Then again, after feeling Cole’s hands between her thighs, neither was she.
Haley shot a sidelong glance Cole’s way. Acting like nothing had just transpired between them, he snatched his hand back from between her legs and grabbed for his beer. Carter rolled the dice, then counted the spaces along the board. He grinned when he hit the ladder and climbed to the top of the board.
“Oh, did Allison forget to tell you that whoever wins gets to make everyone do a dare?” Carter mentioned.
“Ah, no. She neglected that part,” Haley said as she shot Allison a look.
Allison blinked apologetic lashes over pretty blue eyes. “Oops, sorry.”
Carter handed the dice to Haley, and before she rolled she took a much-needed sip of wine, which seemed to be going straight to her head. Either that or Cole’s erotic touch had left her lightheaded.
Pulse leaping, she rolled and landed on a ladder. She placed her piece next to Carter’s and said, “Oh, and did I mention I used to rock at this game?”
Laughter erupted, and she relaxed into Cole as they played a few more rounds, but she found it harder and harder to concentrate with Cole sitting so close, her body registering every detail about him—his enticing scent, his rugged body, his large, work-roughened hands and the lusty glances he kept aiming her way.
When the turn came around to her again and she landed on a snake, her stomach tightened, wondering what to do. Since she wasn’t sure she was ready for truths, at least not where Cole was concerned, she turned to Allison and said, “Dare.” But when Allison gave her a devilish smile, she wondered if she’d just made a colossal mistake.
Haley knew Cole was a private guy, and she hoped Allison didn’t get her to do something that would leave him feeling awkward or embarrassed.
Allison said, “Why don’t you give Cole a kiss?”
Haley let loose a breath. Okay, that seemed simple enough.
She turned to Cole, to gauge his response to the dare, and found his eyes alive with anticipation. When she wet her lips, he cupped her chin, slanted his head and brought her mouth to his. Heat zinged through her body as his mouth settled on hers. Softly, gently and with so much passion it took her by surprise.
The warmth of his mouth seeped into her skin and her senses exploded, leaving her hot and breathless and in need of so much more. Her nipples tightened with arousal as he brushed his fingers along her jawline, a tender caress that seeped under her skin and had warmth streaking through her.
Making no attempt at discretion, he sidled closer, pulling her against him. He slid one hand through her hair to hold her mouth to his, while the other continued to trace the curve of her face. When he deepened the kiss, his tongue tangling with hers in the most provocative way, there was nothing she could do to stifle the moan rising in her throat.
Unlike their frantic kiss earlier, Cole took his sweet time, savoring her mouth in its entirety while his tongue lazily danced with hers. Everything in the way he was touching her was surprisingly tender, achingly gentle and she shifted closer, every nerve in her body coming alive beneath his erotic caress.
Desire settled deep between her legs, and in that moment she couldn’t deny that she needed him in a way she’d never needed another. Her body quivered, rattled by the emotions his tender kiss and soft touch brought out in her, and she suddenly knew simple was the last word she’d use to describe the dare she’d accepted.
When he finally inched away, his glance locked on hers and his mouth curved enticingly. She sat there staring at him, her heart pounding wildly.
“Okay then,” Carter said, breaking the moment.
“Cole’s turn,” Sean piped in, “and I think you’d better pick truth, because you two are about to set this picnic table on fire, and I’m without my equipment.”
Laughter sounded as Cole reached for the dice. A quake moved through Haley’s body when he landed on a snake and she wondered—hoped—he’d pick dare so they could finish what she started.
He turned to her and said, “Truth.”
She worked to sound casual. “So I get to ask you anything?”
He nodded. “Anything.”
Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was this man. She couldn’t say for sure. All she knew was that this whole situation was getting out of control, and that she’d do anything to get Cole alone, so she could do deliciously naughty things to his hard body.
“Okay.” She placed her hand on his leg, wanting to make him as sexually aroused as she was at that moment. Although she suspected he wasn’t too far behind, and in fact, might even be passing her. “While I’m enjoying this child’s game, I’m much more interested in playing an adult game with another type of snake.” When Cole’s mouth dropped open, she asked, “Do you think you’d like to play with me?”
Hoots and hollers erupted from around the table, and the fire in his eyes told her just how much he’d like to play along.
“Hell yeah,” he rushed out, his lusty glance moving longingly over her face.
She wet her lips and let her glance drop to his cock. “One more question.”
“Shoot.”
“What are we waiting for?”
A deep growl cut through the quiet around them, and in a swift move that took everyone by surprise, he jumped from the bench and grabbed her hand to haul her up with him.
“We’re out.” He tossed the words over his shoulder and didn’t speak another word until they reached the shoreline. All that could be heard was the laughter coming from their friends. When he stopped near the boat house and backed her up until she was caged between the building and his chest, there was an intensity about him that excited her as much as it frightened her.
“Cole?”
“Yeah?” He reached above them, his hand fishing around.
“What are you doing?” A cool breeze washed over her, but as he pressed hard against her, his warmth drove back the cold and rattled her brain.
A second later he produced the key to the padlock. “I need you alone because there are things I need to do to you, and this time I don’t want any interruptions.”
Haley closed her eyes for a brief second, hardly abl
e to believe how much that excited her. Feeling edgy and out of control, her body quivered with unfettered want, and she wondered how she’d ever go back to dating boring men who cared nothing about her needs.
With a hungry gleam in his eye, Cole made short work of the lock, opened the door and pulled her inside. The place was small, cozy, the perfect spot for the two of them to be alone.
She took a quick glance around. On one wall there was a bench, and above it there were hooks with bathing suits dangling; on the other she found an old sofa. Behind the sofa there was a small window, just big enough to let a bit of light in, but small enough to give them the privacy they were seeking.
Catching her off-guard, he backed her up against the door and set the lock behind her. Sexual tension crackled in the air, and when his hands shackled hers and he pinned them above her head, she felt a flood of sexual heat. He was so wild, so animalistic that it excited her beyond anything she’d ever known.
His mouth found hers, and he kissed her deep before skimming over her cheek, her jaw, her neck. As warm and wicked sensations erupted inside her, she spread her legs in a silent invitation.
He slipped a hand between her thighs and cupped her sex, his gaze going from her eyes, to her lips, to her breasts.
“Is this what you want, baby?” he questioned in a soft tone.
The heat in his gaze reverberated through her blood, and as a wave of anticipation took hold, her pussy lubricated, eager to feel his cock inside her.
“Among other things,” she whispered, her teasing voice thick with desire.
His chuckle was deep, sexy. “Then why don’t you tell me exactly what you want?”
Her mouth watered, aching to taste him. “I’d rather show you.”
She reached between them and opened his jeans. She was so aroused it took effort to keep her hands from trembling as she worked his zipper. His nostrils flared, and she knew he wanted her mouth on his cock every bit as much as she did.
His cock throbbed when she pulled it free. She shimmied lower, her back sliding along the wall, and when her mouth was aligned with his erection, he threw his head back and let loose a guttural sound.