"I'll believe that when I see it. But for now, you better make sure of it. See you at ten." He turned to leave.
"Maybe you should take your own advice, dude," Cole called after him.
Brandon didn't turn around but raised his middle finger over his head as he walked away. Cole laughed. Brandon was a good guy, one of the best, and they went back all the way to college, but sometimes they were so different that Cole wondered how they'd ever become such good friends.
Going back in the room, he shut the door behind him and walked toward the patio door. He'd left it open when he woke up and came inside. "Meredith?"
No answer. He was sure he'd heard her out there. When he went out and didn't see her, he continued across the balcony to the bedroom doors. The curtains were open, so he knew she was up. Sliding the door open, he glanced around the room and frowned when he didn't find her there either. She must have gone into the bathroom.
He waited, debating on what to say to her. He never did this morning after stuff, so he wasn't sure how to go about it. After a few minutes he started to worry that maybe she was sick, so he rapped softly on the door. It wasn't latched and opened slightly at his touch. "You okay in there?"
When she didn't reply, he pushed the door open all the way and peered in. He couldn't fight the unfamiliar disappointment at what he found. Or rather, didn't find.
She was gone.
***
Meredith shut the door to her room and dropped her head against it. She was pretty sure she'd made it back undetected, but all she needed was for some staff member to report to her brother that they'd seen her making the walk of shame. With a heavy sigh, she walked to the bathroom and dug through her bag for some pain medicine. She was going to need it if she intended to make it through the day.
A knock on her door made her groan. Brandon. She'd nearly forgotten. He had some crazy notion that he needed to keep her entertained, starting with her first full day on the property.
A quick glance in the mirror told her she was in no condition to answer the door, her hair full of tangled knots sticking out in all directions. Would Brandon be able to tell that she'd had a wild and crazy night?
"Mere?" The knock came a little louder this time. "Are you still asleep?"
He would be persistent until she let him in, so she only hoped he thought she always looked that disheveled in the mornings.
Meredith pulled the door open, feigning a yawn. She blinked groggily at her brother's cheerful smile and grimaced.
"Good morning to you, too. Time to get up, sleepy head," he said, affectionately ruffling her hair as if she were still a child. Sometimes she wondered if he realized she had grown up. He walked past her and sat down on a chair. She followed him back into the suite, stopping at the coffee pot to set it up to brew.
She turned around and found him surveying her carefully. "Long night?"
Meredith shrugged noncommittally. "Jet lag," she tossed back.
"We're in the same time zone."
"You want any coffee?" she asked, hoping to change the subject.
"Already had some. I've been up for hours."
Glancing at the clock, Meredith frowned at him. "It's only seven."
"The resort never sleeps." Meredith though that was an odd thing to say. He really was married to his work. Looking closer at him, she noticed the dark circles under his eyes. He looked exhausted.
"You work too hard."
"So you've said," he replied. "And there's more to do. But for the next few hours I'm all yours, so get ready and let's go."
"Wouldn't you much rather just sit here and order breakfast and catch up?" she suggested. She didn't know what he had planned for her, but she was certain she wouldn't be in the mood for it. She felt like she'd been hit by a train and would prefer to climb into her bed and sleep it off.
"No can do. I've already made plans for you with the best water sports instructor this resort has ever seen."
Meredith gaped. Water sports? There was no way she could make it through a day on the water with her hangover, but she couldn't exactly tell her brother she'd gotten drunk the night before. He most definitely would not approve.
"You know, you really don't have to entertain me every hour of my trip." Her goal had now switched to finding a way to ditch his carefully made plans.
He got up and walked over to give her a hug and she realized she was still wearing her red dress. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping he wouldn't notice.
"I just really want you to make the most of your time off. I said it last night, but you work too hard too. I don't want you to neglect yourself for the sake of your job."
Is that what he was doing? He certainly looked like it, but she'd have to worry about it later. She wasn't getting out of his plans for her, and if she was going to be on the water she needed to get cleaned up and try to get rid of the rat's nest on her head.
"Fine, but only because I love you so much. Let me get a quick shower."
"And some new clothes?" He arched a brow at her. Of course it hadn't escaped his notice.
Meredith forced out a giggle, but it sounded more like a nervous yelp. "I guess I was too tired from dancing to bother changing last night."
She turned and practically ran to the bedroom, avoiding his eyes.
"Okay, but don't take too long. Phillips will be waiting for us at eight."
"Phillips?" What kind of a name was that?
"Yeah, an old college buddy. He's here helping me out for a few weeks."
That should be interesting. Was he sticking her with his friend so he could keep an eye on her? She wouldn't put it past him.
Taking a shower as quickly as possible considering how worn out she felt, Meredith let the water wash away as much of the previous night's memories as she could. She brushed out her hair and left it down to air dry. While she applied sunscreen, she couldn't help but wonder if she would see Cole at any point during the day. For the first time, she thought being out on the water might be a good thing. Less of a chance of running into him.
Without giving much thought to what she should wear, she plucked a shimmery pink bikini from her drawer and tied a sarong around her waist. Throwing a hat, towel and sunscreen into her beach bag, she placed the darkest sunglasses she had over her eyes and headed out to find her brother talking on his phone in an urgent tone.
"Yes, I realize that. I'll take care of it. No, I've got it under control. Just give me half an hour." He ended the call and turned to her with an apologetic smile. "I had planned on staying with you for a bit this morning, but duty calls. I'll walk you down to the marina, but we'll have to wait until this evening to spend some real time together. Don't worry, you'll be in good hands."
Meredith sighed, but knew it was probably for the best. This way she wouldn't have to work so hard to hide her hangover from him.
Brandon led the way down to the marina, but Meredith was barely able to appreciate the beauty of the early morning at the resort. The sun was far too bright and she was distracted by looking around to make sure Cole didn't materialize from nowhere. Just as she thought she was in the clear, Brandon veered down the same path that she'd taken less than an hour before and Cole's villa came into view. She angled her head as they passed the beach front patio, hoping that he wouldn't recognize her if he happened to be looking out. She seemed to be in luck. The doors were closed and curtains drawn shut.
Relaxing slightly as they approached the resort's small marina, she leaned into Brandon and he draped his arm casually over her shoulders, leaning down to kiss her on top of her head.
He turned her chin up to look at her. "I promise I'll spend time with you while you're here. I really am sorry."
He did seem to regret that he hadn't been available for her so far. Meredith smiled softly at him. "It's okay. We have plenty of time." She turned her head up and placed a kiss on his cheek.
"Well, here we are. First slip on the left."
CHAPTER FOUR
What the—? Cole shook hi
s head, certain he was seeing things from where he stood on the deck of his boat. But no, there she was, walking toward him, tucked in closely under Brandon's arm. He was sure she'd said she was at the resort alone. Had he been completely taken in by her and bought her lies? It didn't add up. Cole's jaw clenched as Meredith looked adoringly up at Brandon and then—Seriously?—kissed him. He'd been so sure she was different from the women with whom he usually entertained himself. But there she was, and by all indications Brandon's girlfriend.
And dammit if she didn't have his body reacting to her all over again in that tiny excuse for a swimsuit.
Brandon lifted his hand in greeting and Meredith turned her head in Cole's direction, stumbling over herself when she saw him standing and watching them approach.
Brandon leaned into her attentively. Way too intimately for Cole's liking. He was unable to fight the sudden rush of jealousy as Brandon said something in her ear.
Then they were on the pier, directly in front of his slip. Meredith was wearing dark glasses so he couldn't see her eyes, but her open mouth indicated she was just as surprised as he was. He couldn't tear his gaze away from her, but acknowledged in the recesses of his brain that Brandon was speaking to him.
Cole forced himself to focus on Brandon. "This is my sister, Meredith. Meredith, my old friend and your new instructor, Cole Phillips."
Sister. Sister? This was not at all what he'd envisioned when Brandon told him he had a sister that needed to be shown how to have a good time. As far as he could tell, she knew how to do that just fine on her own. Conflicting feelings of relief and panic swept through him. Thank God she wasn't Brandon's girlfriend. That would have been a fist fight waiting to happen. But he didn't think being his sister was much better. It might actually be worse.
He'd almost slept with his best friend's sister.
He ground his teeth together and realized he was still staring at them and hadn't spoken. Extending his hand to Meredith, he debated what to say. She hesitated, so briefly that he almost missed it, then flashed a bright smile as she placed her hand in his. "Nice to meet you," she said.
Her tone of voice exuded calm confidence, and if not for her shaking hand Cole would have thought she was completely unfazed. That tiny indication let him know she was just as thrown off as he was. She'd had no idea who he was. And why would she? In the span of a heartbeat, he determined that he had to keep their secret.
"Nice to meet you as well," he said, going for a mix of politeness and detachment. Her relief was visible but was quickly replaced with a grimace when he added, "Your brother has set you up in good hands." An image of his hands on her body flashed through his mind, and the flush creeping up her neck made him quite sure she was thinking of the same thing.
Brandon clapped him on the shoulder a little harder than necessary. "Thanks, man. I know you'll do right by my sister." His implication was obvious by the emphasis on the last word. He was making it clear that he expected Cole to remain professional.
And he had every intention to. This woman had already gotten under his skin, which was the first reason he needed to keep his distance. Being Brandon's sister made it even more imperative that he not get involved with her. He'd get through the scheduled lesson and hope he could shake the unfamiliar feelings she'd stirred up, then he could be sure to stay away from her for the next two weeks.
"If it goes well," Brandon continued, "it would be nice if you could give Meredith a few more lessons while she's here. I'm not able to spend as much time with her as I'd like, but you can keep her busy on the water."
Shit.
"How many times do I have to tell you that you don't have to keep me entertained?" Meredith asked sweetly, but Cole could see something simmering under the surface of her carefully blank face. "I have plenty of ways to keep myself busy." She didn't appear to want to be thrown together with him any more than he did, but the idea of her keeping herself busy, potentially with someone else, had him speaking before he could stop himself.
"You may find that sailing with me is entertainment enough." She looked at him sharply and he grinned.
"We'll see about that."
"Play nicely," Brandon interjected, squeezing his sister's hand. "That goes for you too." He pointed a finger at Cole and gave him a hard look that was unmistakable.
Cole gave him his most angelic smile. "Always."
"I'll see you later today." He turned back to his sister. "Maybe for dinner?"
Meredith nodded and smiled for the benefit of her brother, but the minute his back was turned, her pulse-igniting smile turned into a seething scowl.
Oh, boy.
* * *
Her headache was back full force. This had to be some kind of sick cosmic joke. The man she'd thrown herself at the night before was her brother's friend. And apparently her go-to man for all things water related for the duration of her trip. Trying to process the turn of events, she groaned aloud and watched her brother's retreating figure fade into the distance.
She reluctantly turned back to the boat, the massive shirtless man who was surely descended from the gods causing her to stop breathing altogether. Her foggy memory still denied her the pleasure of remembering just what he looked like without his clothes, but what she saw before her was pretty damn amazing.
He jumped down from the bow and stood directly in front of her, and her fingers flexed with the need to feel the ridges of his superhuman abs beneath her hands.
"So..." His voice cut into her thoughts, bringing her back to reality as her eyes snapped up from his tanned chest to his eyes. They were so dark they were almost black. Knowing she'd been caught staring, she cleared her throat and shook her hair back, trying to maintain some degree of composure.
"I think we can both agree that last night was a mistake." Might as well clear the air if they were going to be stuck together the rest of the day.
His eyes darkened even more if that was possible, and the muscle in his jaw twitched. What was that about? He was mad? Her anger from earlier came flooding back. He had some nerve. He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off, not wanting to hear what he had to say. "Let's just get this over with."
She turned toward the boat in doubt, unsure how she was supposed to climb aboard. Cole vaulted himself over the side as if it were nothing. Did he expect her to do that? Just as she was gathering up her courage, he walked further down the length of the boat and opened a little door she'd not noticed.
"Welcome aboard," he said, holding a hand out for her as she approached the door.
Ignoring him, she stepped over the small gap between the pier and the deck and breezed past him.
"Meredith. I think we need to talk."
"There's nothing to say." She couldn't look at him.
"You're obviously angry. Why did you leave this morning?"
"Why did I—?” She broke off, laughing incredulously. This guy was a piece of work. "Like I said, let's just get this over with. I don't want to talk about last night."
He stepped closer and searched her face with concern as her mind and body warred. She didn't know whether to slap him or throw herself into his arms. Her mind won out. He took a step in her direction and she held her palms out toward him. "Let's forget it ever happened and just get through this day to appease my brother. Then we can say it didn't work out and we don't have to see each other again."
Something passed over his face, but it was gone before Meredith had time to figure out what it meant. He stalked past her and began fiddling with some of the instruments on the helm that looked entirely too complicated to her. She watched as he expertly flipped switches and made adjustments.
"Have a seat," he clipped out.
Not knowing what else to do with herself, she sat in a plush leather chair as far away from him as she could get, and tucked her feet under her. She angled her head, pretending to watch the beach as it became more crowded and activity started to pick up, but behind her glasses her eyes kept darting back to him. Why did he have to be so
damn sexy? She wanted to give him a piece of her mind and let him know just what a jerk she thought he was, but she was afraid to get too close. He'd made her feel things that she hadn't felt in a long time, and despite the fact that he had taken advantage of her, a small part of her wanted to remember what it felt like to have the hardness of his body pressing against her. Over her. Moving within her.
She tensed at the thought, and liquid heat pooled between her thighs. Cole chose that exact moment to approach her. She looked up at his muscled frame hovering over her, and her tongue darted out nervously to moisten her suddenly dry lips.
"You ready?"
Judging by the way her body was betraying her, she was very ready. Ready to jump his bones.
She took a steadying breath, trying to regain control. Ignoring his hand once again, she pushed herself up from the chair and nodded. Keep your distance. Forget it ever happened.
Fat chance.
"Okay, let me give you a rundown of the basics." She listened halfheartedly as he explained some simple boating terminology. She already knew the difference between bow and stern, starboard and port, but as he began telling her about the specifics of sailing, she found herself intrigued, asking questions and wanting to know more. Maybe the day wouldn't be a complete waste.
After half an hour of what could have been a boring lecture, but was made exciting by Cole's obvious enthusiasm, they were ready to move out of the slip.
Meredith followed him back to the helm, pushing her glasses up on her head and leaning in to get a clearer look. Their shoulders brushed, and an electric charge ran down her arm causing her to shiver. Cole glanced down at her and lifted the corner of his mouth as their eyes locked.
"Interested after all?"
She pursed her lips and studied his face. It was a loaded question, but she couldn't stop a small grin from spreading across her face. He was cocky. And damn it all if she didn't find that irresistible. She must be mental.
"The verdict is still out. Let's see how you can maneuver first."
Rescue Me (Sunset Bay Book 1) Page 4