When he made no attempt to remove his hand, Cora resigned herself to the fact he wanted it there and she had to admit, she wasn’t ready to sever that simple touch. She was relaxing, enjoying the evening and learning more than she thought possible about her intriguing new boss.
“Is the sun setting?” she asked.
“It’s almost down.”
Sunsets had always been something she loved to look at, especially when she’d been out of the city. There was just something so peaceful about a sunset in the country. The way the orange and pink would spread across the horizon always calmed her. Of all the sunsets she’d missed seeing in the past three years, this one may be the one she longed to see most. To fully embrace this moment with Braxton would be . . . what? Romantic? She needed to omit romance from her mind.
“Describe what you see.” The words slipped out before she could fully think them through, but now that she’d laid out the request, she wanted to know what the world looked like through his eyes.
Braxton’s hand moved from her thigh and she wondered what he was doing until he scooted closer, his legs stretching beside the full length of her own, their shoulders completely touching. He leaned back on his hands. When his pinkie intertwined with hers, Cora couldn’t help but smile. There was something so refreshingly simple about Braxton. He may have been a bit of a player, but he clearly knew the game and maybe she was just ready for some fun. Flirty, friendly fun.
“The sky is orange and the reflection on the water is just as vibrant. There are a few ducks wading through the water. They like to swim around the dock Zach just built.”
“What color are the ducks?”
“Yellow.”
Cora sighed. “I bet they’re adorable.”
She could easily imagine little fuzzy ducks gliding across the water, making V-shaped images behind them.
“Is the pond large?” she asked, needing to get the full mental image of this beautiful land.
“It’s a pretty good size. Fairly deep, too.”
Cora closed her eyes, letting the picture flood her imagination. This property would be a huge draw for women who wanted to escape reality, who needed time away from the hustle and bustle life threw at them. The fact they were catering to overworked, tired women who needed a break from children, work, everyday responsibilities, was absolutely brilliant. Chelsea had definitely been onto something amazing.
“Do you swim?” Braxton asked, breaking into her thoughts.
“Not often. Back home I never had much time between work and . . . things.”
Since the accident, actually, but he didn’t need to know the details.
Juggling her parents’ demanding schedule, Eric’s need for trying to push forward with a wedding neither of them truly wanted, and her longing to break away, she’d not had much time for anything fun lately.
“Let’s jump in,” he suggested, and she knew from his tone he was smiling.
Cora stilled. “I didn’t bring my suit and there’s no way I’m skinny-dipping. Nice try, though.”
Braxton moved away. “Swim in your dress. We can throw this blanket in my car and sit on it to get home. I’m game if you are.”
“We will freeze when we get out,” she claimed. “It’s December.”
Braxton’s laugh washed over her. “It may be too cold for normal people to swim, but let’s not be normal. Besides, the water will actually feel warm.”
Cora hesitated. She didn’t want to be afraid of water, she wasn’t, actually. But she hadn’t been in since she’d fallen and hit her head. The accident had ultimately given the doctors the information they needed to properly diagnose her, though nothing had been able to save her sight.
Even though the fall hadn’t caused her condition, Cora was still worried. What if she got in and fear consumed her? What if she had a panic attack? What if Braxton finally saw her as vulnerable and handicapped? She’d rather die than for him to see her as damaged.
But she also refused to allow her past to consume and control her newfound freedom.
Cora took a deep breath and smiled. “I’m game.”
Chapter Seven
Later, when Braxton was thinking clearer, he’d kick himself for suggesting they go for a swim. Nothing about this said “working relationship” and it was teetering on the line of friendship, nearly falling off on the side he’d promised not to cross.
“What about Heidi?” Braxton asked. “Will she want to come in?”
Cora patted her faithful companion. “She’ll stay here. I’m sure she’d love to go in, but I wouldn’t subject your vehicle to wet dog.”
“Leather seats wipe off and I wouldn’t mind a bit.”
Seriously, what the hell was he saying? He washed and cleaned his car weekly, wanting it neat and tidy and perfect. But that was the effect of having a military father. Braxton prayed that sliver was all he took away from the man whom he shared genes with.
“She’s fine up here,” Cora stated.
When she held out her hands, Braxton grabbed hold and pulled her to her feet. Those slender fingers fit so well against his as he walked backward and eased her down the slight slope toward the water’s edge.
She stiffened up as the land steepened. Her hands tightened in his as her eyes widened. Her breath became shallower and Braxton wanted to assure her she’d be fine. No way would he let anything happen to her.
“I’ve got you,” he murmured. “Just walk slowly.”
“I know.”
She almost sounded as if she were trying to convince herself. Stubborn to a fault, but he wasn’t letting go and he wasn’t giving her an opportunity to pull away and do this on her own. For purely selfish reasons, he wanted to experience this moment with her. He wanted to see everything from her perspective.
“Wait,” she told him just as the water slid over the tops of his feet. “Maybe I should stay with Heidi and you can swim. Really. Let’s do that instead.”
The fear lacing her voice had him gripping her hands tighter and standing still. “You’re afraid of water?”
Her eyes remained wide, unblinking. “Not afraid, I’ve just . . . I’ve not been in since my accident.”
Braxton processed her words, then cursed. “Did an accident in the water cause your blindness?” Could he be more dense and selfish? Not that he knew what happened to her exactly, but why hadn’t he tried to learn a little more? She’d mentioned an accident before, but he had no idea.
“No.” She shook her head and continued to hold tightly to his hands. “I was swimming with friends and we were goofing off. I got a little dizzy and fell into the pool. I was fine, but during a total workup, the doctors found something that had been overlooked and ignored for too long.”
Cora blinked away the moisture that filled her eyes as she chewed on her bottom lip. “I don’t really want to talk about it, if you don’t mind.”
Damn it all. Braxton wanted to pick her up, carry her back to the dry land, and erase every bad memory and nightmare plaguing her mind right now.
“We’ll go back.”
“No. I want to do this.” She swallowed, then offered him a light smile that did so much to his heart, he didn’t even know how to describe what he was feeling. “I want to do this with you. Only you. You get me. For reasons I can’t explain, I’m comfortable with you and I haven’t experienced that with anyone since I lost my sight. Just . . . don’t let my fear ruin this moment. Promise me?”
Promise her? Hell, he’d do anything to make her smile, to help her overcome this moment and live again with the freedom she craved.
And the fact that she’d admitted her fear . . . He knew those words cost her, but she wanted to do this so he’d damn well make sure she was comfortable. She was trusting him to lean on, trusting him to keep her safe from the water . . . from her fears.
“I won’t let go,” he assured her as he eased her on. “You’re about to feel the water on your feet. Tell me the second you want out and I’ll make it happen.”
&nbs
p; She gasped on her next step. “The water’s colder than I thought it would be,” she laughed. “You told me it would be warmer.”
“I lied.” Her instant laughter full of shock and joy warmed him. “All part of the experience.”
Within moments, her dress clung against her curves as water hit their waists. He stopped, waiting for her to grow more accustomed to the temperature. Personally, he welcomed the coolness because he had a feeling when that dress became plastered to her body, his heat level would rise.
“It’s going to be hard to get those jeans off now that they’re wet,” she commented, her tone a little shaky, and he knew she was talking through the nerves.
“Wet jeans are a bitch to remove,” he agreed.
“The sun is gone now, isn’t it?” she asked.
“How did you know?”
With a shrug, she explained, “The warmth isn’t in the air like before. My skin doesn’t feel the rays . . . if that makes sense.”
Everything about her made sense. The way she explained her life so simply had him wondering what else he took for granted. Driving a car, a sunset, waving at people as he passed by on a street. She humbled him.
“Can you see okay?”
He smiled at her concern. “The lights on the back of the house are on a timer. There’s enough of a glow I can see just fine.”
So fine, in fact, he could see her perfect, seductive shape beneath that cotton. Braxton gritted his teeth and forced himself to remain in control. This evening was about Cora, not him, not his need for her. She was venturing out of her comfort zone, not looking for a jaded playboy with ulterior motives.
“I’m going to let go of one of your hands,” he told her. “We’ll stay here for a while until you want to venture out deeper.”
“We can go on.” She slid her hands up to his wrists and circled her fingers around him, as if she silently feared he’d let go. “I’m used to the water now.”
Carefully he took one of his hands from her grasp and slid it around the dip in her waist. “I want to keep one hand on you at all times.”
“I’m sure you do,” she joked.
She slid into the water a bit more until he knew she wasn’t touching, but floating. He kept his grip on her, not ready to let go. Her hair fanned out around her shoulders. Braxton continued to watch as she transformed into some sort of goddess right before his eyes.
Cora eased her head back and shifted her body so she was floating on her back. She’d let go of him, giving him the control as he kept his hand on her side. He refused to relinquish his hold until she told him to. She was amazing and taking charge of this fear like a champ.
The dress had molded like a second skin against her body. The water lapped over her shape and Braxton had to shut his eyes and grit his teeth. There was only so much self-control a man was filled with and he was seriously at his breaking point.
Women threw themselves at him all the time, and after his breakup that had been just fine. He actually welcomed the distraction and the release from women who weren’t looking for anything more than one meaningless night.
But Cora wasn’t throwing herself at him. She was pulling him in without trying, without charming him or batting her lashes. She wasn’t playing games and she wasn’t asking for anything. All she’d done was given him a glimpse into her special world. She’d shown him how to take fear and kick its ass. He wanted to be as resilient as her, but he didn’t know if he could.
This fascinating woman had gained his attention and interest quicker than any other woman he’d ever met . . . including his ex-fiancée.
His thoughts were pierced by her scream. Braxton jerked his gaze back around, his hands gripping her tighter now. Cora’s body shifted, landing against him and sending the water sloshing around them.
“What is it?” he asked, not having a clue what had happened in the span of a few seconds.
“Something brushed against my leg.”
Braxton glanced behind her and laughed. “Those ducks I told you about. Looks like one wants to be your friend.”
Cora dropped her head to his shoulder as tension slid from her body. She literally relaxed right against him as she let out a sigh.
“You must think I’m an idiot,” she laughed. “I was so focused on not freaking out in the water, I’d forgotten about them.”
“Hey, I don’t mind beautiful women clinging to me.”
Cora lifted her face and her eyes widened just as her legs kicked against his to stay afloat.
“You’re . . . you’re not wearing pants,” she accused.
“Nope. You’re not either.”
Her fingertips dug into his shoulders. “I’m at least dressed. Oh, no,” she muttered. “Please tell me you’re not naked.”
Man, she was something. “Why do I feel insulted?”
“Braxton,” she warned, drawing out his name.
“Fine. I’m not naked. I’m wearing my underwear.”
Their legs continued to brush against each other as they worked to stay above water. He should tell her he could keep them both in place with his arms wrapped around her, but he rather liked that connection with her legs bumping his. He was a selfish guy, so what. Besides, he wanted her to continue to get used to the water and she was doing a great job. So far she’d been distracted by ducks and his near nakedness.
Stellar job, Monroe. Really nice job on helping her feel at ease.
Damn. He wanted to impress her. He wanted to help her and he wanted her to know she mattered.
“I had a date tonight.”
Why the hell had he blurted that out? What was wrong with him tonight? Enter an intriguing, beautiful, wet woman and he couldn’t control himself. He needed a filter, but it was a little late now.
Cora’s eyes widened.
“I canceled because I wanted to see you,” he admitted. “For some reason I can’t get you out of my mind when we’re not together. Trying to ignore these feelings is only backfiring because I want you even more.”
Cora continued to cling to him as the water lapped gently around them. He worried he’d gone too far, but honesty was something he’d always valued.
“Maybe this swim wasn’t the best idea,” she whispered, her eyes on his mouth.
Braxton’s entire body tightened. There was no way in hell she could see him, so she had no idea where her gaze had landed or the impact she had on him right now. But if he didn’t release her soon, she’d be finding out exactly how much he was affected by their encounter.
“Actually, I think it’s the best idea,” he countered, still in no hurry to release her. “You’re overcoming an obstacle, we had a good meal and a good laugh at your expense with the duck. I can’t recall when I’ve had a better idea. And tonight turned out better than I’d planned.”
Cora closed her eyes briefly before opening them and damn if she wasn’t staring right at his mouth again.
“What are you doing to me?” she whispered. “I didn’t come here for this.”
He knew she was referring to Haven in general, but there was nothing he could do to change the fact she was here, in his arms, when he’d actually had plans to be with another woman tonight. Fate had intervened and placed them right where they were meant to be.
“Forget the fact I’m going to start working for you in a month,” she went on. “I’m not in a place where I can let my emotions guide my actions.”
“Well, that’s definitely where we differ. I’ve let my emotions guide my actions for months now.”
“I can imagine,” she murmured. “Another reason this was a bad idea. Maybe we should go.”
Like hell. She was running scared. Yeah, he was scared, too, but damn if he’d run from fear. He’d face this head-on . . . whatever this was going on between them. Ignoring it would only make the tension grow and he refused to allow that. He refused to let his ex continue to control his life. And he suddenly realized that’s exactly what he’d been doing since she left him.
No more. This was hi
s life and if Cora could take hers back, he could sure as hell stop feeling sorry for himself and move on. Yes, he risked getting hurt again, but wasn’t Cora worth it? He had to explore whatever was happening here because not exploring it was going to drive him utterly insane.
Getting everything out in the open was the only way he lived since he’d been a nine-year-old boy. Since he’d seen his father kill his mother before taking his own life.
So, yeah, honesty was the only way he worked.
“Leaving now would be a mistake.” He loosened his grip so she didn’t feel so tense in the moment. “Don’t let your worry and doubts make decisions for you. And whatever you do, don’t let your past settle in between us.”
“Us?” she questioned. “You mean friends, right?”
Braxton kept one arm wrapped around her waist and brought his other hand up to cup her face. His thumb raked back and forth across her bottom lip.
“I have so many friends,” he told her, watching her mouth part, her lids flutter closed. “I’ve never wanted to kiss any of my friends the way I want to kiss you right now. And I sure as hell have never wanted to ignore all the reasons why we shouldn’t more than I do right now.”
“It’s just the moment.” Her head fell back slightly as she let out a satisfied sigh, betraying her words. “You’re getting caught up in the night, in the fact we’re alone and it’s dark.”
“No, I’m getting caught up in you.”
Braxton replaced his thumb with his mouth, teasing her by brushing his lips across hers. Never before had he wanted to take his time with a woman. After Anna, he’d been on autopilot. He’d find a woman, find release, and be gone. The women knew going in exactly what the game was because they were players as well.
But Cora was different. The game had changed. He either needed to relearn the rules or bow out . . . and he’d never been a quitter.
As her lips opened against his, he knew walking away wasn’t an option. There was something so potent, so powerful, yet innocent about her that made him want to take his time and discover all the layers she kept hidden.
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