“I’m surprised you’re willing to admit that, most men wouldn’t.” Lauren said.
“Nothing wrong with admitting that you’re afraid of something, we all are.” He said, shrugging his shoulders.
Normally Lauren didn’t like talking about her trips, people asked but were rarely as interested as they pretended to be, so she’d learned to redirect the conversation. But since Cole had already shown himself to be different than most, she told him about her first mountain climb.
He listened and asked intelligent questions, then told her about some of the places he’d visited. Lauren was amazed to find that it was easy to talk to Cole, so easy in fact that before they knew it the afternoon had faded into evening. Lauren didn’t know it but Sadie had kept everyone away from them, knowing in just one glance at the two together that something important was happening.
Finally Cole realized how late it was getting and said, “Looks like we’ve talked the afternoon away. Are you hungry?”
“There is no way I can even think about eating anything else today. I ate way too much at lunch, but if you’re hungry I’ll keep you company.” She was shocked to hear those words coming out of her mouth. Normally she would have sent him on his way, probably happy that the encounter was over. But she didn’t want Cole to leave.
“I’m not really hungry either. Would you like to see the shop since you’re going to be working there? The fireworks aren’t going to start for a while and we’ll have just enough time for a quick tour. There’s a great place on the roof to watch them.”
“Oh, fireworks. I love fireworks and I haven’t seen any in a long time. That sounds great.” Lauren said, suddenly feeling like she was a kid again.
“Well, then let’s go.”
“What about your dad? I’d completely forgotten about him, I’m sorry.” Lauren said, suddenly embarrassed by her selfishness.
“No worries, my sister took him home hours ago. We take turns taking care of our parents, but since they moved into the retirement facility it has been much easier. It was a difficult decision to make but Dad just couldn’t take care of Mom by himself anymore.”
“It must be hard to see your parents declining.”
“Well, I thought so until today, now I’m just happy to have them with me still.” He said, taking her hand and helping her out of her chair.
To Lauren’s surprise he didn’t let go of her hand, but actually gripped a little tighter. They crossed the park and found Sadie helping put the food away, Lauren offered to help but Sadie waved her away with a look that told her there would be a lot of questions when she got home.
The old saw mill was a few miles out of town up a steep winding road. Located at the top of a ridge of mountains the view of the valley where Prospect was located was incredible. At one time the land around the mill had been clear cut, but new trees had been planted on the mountain side, healing the land and improving the landscape.
As they got out of the car, Lauren couldn’t help taking a deep breath of the pine scented air. “I’d almost forgotten what it smelled like up here. I’ve been to lots of places but there is nowhere in the world that smells like the Cascade Mountains in the summer.”
“I knew when I began looking for a location for my headquarters that I wanted this old mill. It was touch and go for a while, the engineers though that the building was a lost cause, but they managed to save it.”
“It looks better than I ever remember it looking. We used to come up here when we were kids to hunt for ghosts. Sadie was sure there must have been some spirits trapped here, but we never discovered any.”
“For me it was a place to drink the beer we used to steal from my dad’s stash in the garage. I’m sure he knew we were doing it, but we never took very many so he let us get away with it.” Cole said, laughing.
“Your dad seems like a pretty special guy. Everyone in town was so happy to see him today.”
“He’s lived here his entire life, was on the town council, and held the mayor’s office for over ten years so he always gets a lot of attention when he comes to town.”
When they reached the front door Cole unlocked it, entered a code into the key pad on the wall, ushered her inside then reset the alarm and locked the doors again. Lauren looked around her, pleased by what she saw, instead of the usual uncomfortable office furniture that was so common, the room was decorated in a comfortable mix of over-stuffed chairs and couches. There was even a fireplace against one wall, the room looked warm and inviting.
They moved though the reception area to a bank of offices each decorated a different way, the personality of the owner clear in each room. Cole pointed to a set of double doors at the end of the hallway, “the conference rooms and the break room are through those doors at the back of the property as well as my office.”
He led her to an elevator and pushed the button for the third floor, “We’ll have to skip the second floor until you’ve had your security clearance done. Nothing personal, it’s company policy. We have to be constantly on guard against hackers gaining access to our servers.”
“I suppose that would be a problem, if I remember right you’ve developed security systems for some pretty important places.” Lauren said, as the elevator doors opened on the third floor.
“Your office will be on this floor, I’m not sure where, but all the PR people are located here. We can get to the roof through here.” He said, opening a door that led to a set of stairs. “There’s an elevator but it’s quicker to just take the stairs.”
When he pushed open another door at the top of the stairs Lauren drew in a quick breath at the sight that greeted her. The roof was landscaped to match the surrounding woods with the same kinds of plants and trees that were found around them. There was a gazebo in the middle and benches placed under the trees.
“This is wonderful, I bet the employees love it up here. What a great place to take your lunch break.” Lauren said, taking the path that led to the gazebo.
“Or a great place to watch the fireworks.” Cole said, taking her hand and pulling her across the roof to a bench that offered a perfect view of the valley.
Chapter 4
Lauren suddenly felt nervous as they settled themselves onto the bench. It had almost gotten dark, dusk creating deep shadows that were as close to darkness as the real thing. She’d forgotten how quickly it could get dark up here, but loved the way the smell in the air began to take on that familiar smell of the woods at night.
Just as the silence between them began to become uncomfortable, the first brilliant sparks could be seen in the distance. Lauren relaxed against the back of the bench, her head tipped to the sky where the fireworks display lit up the sky with a colorful array of embers. She loved the way the first boom of a rocket was echoed back by the hills around them.
“Why isn’t the rest of the staff up here watching?” She finally asked.
“I made it off limits to everyone. I don’t want them anywhere near work on a day when they’re supposed to by having fun.”
“So you’re breaking your own rule?” She teased, “And with the new employee on top of that.”
“Well, I am the owner of the company, besides how often is a man lucky enough to watch a display like this with such a beautiful woman.”
“As much as I appreciate the compliment, I’m sure there is no shortage of beautiful women in your life.” Lauren threw back at him.
“That may be true, but none of them can compare to you.”
Lauren was glad that it was dark so that Cole couldn’t see the blush that was creeping up her cheeks. She wasn’t sure how to reply to that, so she was silent pretending to give her full attention to the light show in the sky. She felt Cole’s arm slide behind her back and found herself scooting a bit closer to him, realizing that instead of feeling strange, it felt wonderful to be this close to him.
It also felt wonderful when Cole reached up and cupped the side of her face with his big hand, then t
ipped her head up and kissed her. The kiss was gentle at first, his lips barely grazing hers, but when his tongue darted out and parted her lips it was like a match being thrown on gasoline. Her body responded immediately, a fire burning deep in the pit of her stomach.
She was so unprepared for the feeling that she gasped, opening her mouth to him. He took advantage of the opportunity and plunged his tongue deeper into her mouth. Had any other man done that, Lauren would have pulled away, but with Cole all she wanted was more.
Her arms came up and around her shoulders, pulling him closer, giving him permission to take things further. His hand left her face and his arms came around her, pleasantly strong but not demanding. The fireworks continued their dramatic display in front of them, but neither was aware of them.
Lauren was lost in a fury of sensation, every nerve in her body aware of the man who held her in his arms. Cole was aware that he’d never wanted a woman the way he wanted Lauren, it had been immediate and violent the way his body had responded to hers. Without thinking, his hand found her breast through the thin fabric of her dress and he began to massage it.
The purr that came from deep in her throat was impossible for Lauren to control, she was beyond thought, Cole’s hand unleashing another wave of pleasure. When his mouth left hers, she whimpered at the sudden loss until he found her stiff nipple and sucked it into his mouth. Although the world was spinning, Lauren had just enough sense left to realize that things were beginning to go too far.
She was accustomed to quick sexual encounters, after all she rarely spent enough time in one place to develop a serious relationship, but this was her boss and she’d only met him that day. Cole too must have realized that things were moving too fast because he pulled his mouth from her breast and found her mouth again.
He wasn’t ready to completely let Lauren go, but he knew that he’d pushed farther than he should, however that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to make sure she remembered the kiss. He was far from finished with Lauren, in fact he knew deep in his soul that he’d finally found the woman for him, he just needed her to realize it as well.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.” He said, pulling back but not taking his arm from around her.
“It’s okay. It was nice.” Lauren was at a loss for words, barely managing to get herself under control. It was scary to realize she would have let him do much more than he had.
“I think it was a bit better than nice, but I’ll take nice for now.” Cole said, the teasing note back in his voice.
Lauren was so rattled by the thought that there might be another encounter like this one that she did the only thing she could think of doing. She jumped to her feet and said, “I think I better be getting home. It’s getting late and it sounds like I’m going to be in the market for a whole apartment full of stuff.”
Cole knew that as wonderful as the encounter had been, Lauren had just gotten home and was probably still off balance, so he agreed and took her home. Once safely in the house, Lauren prayed that Sadie wasn’t home yet. To her relief the house was empty and she was able to quickly get ready for bed and shut off the light before Sadie got home and asked her a bunch of questions about her night.
She’d tell Sadie what had happened eventually, but for now she needed some time to figure out exactly what had happened tonight. Cole sounded like he planned to pursue what was happening between them further, but she wasn’t sure that she was ready for that. There had already been so much change in her life, a romance might be more than she could handle.
Making smart choices about men had always been something she had prided herself on. Admittedly, she’d never had any kind of a long term relationship, but that had always been okay in the past. Being on the move made it difficult to maintain one, so she’d simply avoided them, taking her romance as it came. She’d always know what to expect, never planned for more than a few weeks of intimacy.
Cole was a different matter, not only would she be here for at least six months, but he was her boss. Of course there was also the possibility that what had happened tonight had been a function of their surroundings. The romantic setting, coupled with the fireworks display might have been more of the cause than any true attracting between them.
But no matter how much she tried to convince herself of that possibility, she couldn’t ignore the attraction between them. They’d both felt it, of that she was sure. The only thing she could do at this point was to try and avoid being alone with Cole, her life was just too complicated right now for a romantic entanglement. Maybe when she was settled and more in control of her life she’d consider romance, but until then she needed to keep in mind what was important.
Saving money for her Everest climb should be her number one priority and since it looked like she’d have to write a blog to make it happen, she had a lot to learn. She fell asleep that night making lists of all the equipment she’d need for the climb, it kept thoughts of Cole from her mind, but once she was asleep her dreams were only about Cole and his strong arms wrapped around her.
The next morning she awoke to the smell of coffee and bacon and knew that she’d have to tell Sadie something about last night. She wasn’t sure what she was going to tell her, she didn’t know herself what last night had meant. Pushing her arms into her robe, she took a deep breath and went in search of Sadie.
She found her in the kitchen, just pulling the bacon out of the pan. “Morning, figured I could get you out of bed with this.” She said, putting the plate right under Lauren’s nose.
“You know me way to well.” Lauren said, taking a piece of the bacon and stuffing it into her mouth.
As she chewed she poured herself a cup of coffee then sat down at the table. It took even less time than she’d thought it would before Sadie said, “How were the fireworks last night?” Giving Lauren a grin she knew all too well.
“Fine, Cole gave me a tour of the shop and then we watched them from the roof.” Lauren said, not able to meet Sadie’s eyes.
“Hmm, that must have been pretty romantic.”
“Yeah it was.”
“That’s it? That’s all you’re going to tell me? You two spent all afternoon together, didn’t even notice anyone around you and that’s it? There has to be more.”
Lauren knew that Sadie wouldn’t stop until she told her something so she said, “He kissed me. Now are you happy?”
“I’d be happier if it was me.” Sadie said, then added, “I’m just kidding. I’m happy for you, a little romance is just what you need.”
“I’m not sure about that. I’ve got so many other new things in my life, I don’t think I can cope with one more. Besides, it was just a kiss. I don’t know if anything will even happen besides that.”
Sadie thought about that for a moment, then said, “I don’t know, I’ve never seen Cole that focused on any woman. He all but ignored everyone at the barbeque, didn’t even get up when his dad left. Room for it in your life or not, I think you’ve begun a romance.”
“Don’t say that, it makes it too real. How about we talk about finding me someplace to live. I can’t do my new job living in your house and you’re going to get tired of me real quick.”
“I would never get tired of having you here, more like the other way around. But I hear you, after breakfast we’ll go over and look at the garage apartment, I have the key. If you don’t like it we can look for something else, but I think you’re going to like it. It’s not big, but they’ve completely remodeled it. New kitchen and bathroom as well as a new heating and air conditioning system.”
“It sounds great, I’m sure it will be fine.” Lauren said, finishing her coffee and putting her cup in the sink. “I get the shower first.”
“Only because you’re my guest.” Sadie called after Lauren who was already headed to the bathroom.
The weather had turned over night, heavy rain clouds blocked the sun, typical of the weather in the Pacific Northwest. Lauren didn’t mind, she’d always loved the rain and the l
ack of sunshine never seemed to bother her. Umbrellas in hand, she and Sadie decided to walk to the apartment, it was only a few blocks away and it seemed silly to drive.
When Sadie opened the apartment door, Lauren was immediately in love with the apartment. The hard wood floors seemed to glow in the light coming in through three huge windows that faced the mountain. The view was spectacular, a view anyone would want to look at no matter the time of day.
It was only three rooms but there was plenty of space for one person to live comfortably. As she’d promised everything was new and they’d even been able to make room for a stacked washer and dryer, a luxury Laruen was happy to see. Because of its small size it would be easy to furnish the rooms. As they walked around the apartment, Lauren mentally made a list of the things she would need and luckily the list wasn’t as long as she’d feared it would be.
“If I were you I’d ask for a furniture allowance as part of your salary, after all you’re going to be featuring it on the blog.” Sadie said, opening all the cabinet and closet doors.
“That seems kind of greedy to me, Beth already promised me funding for Everest I don’t think I can ask for more.”
Sadie only waved her hand at Lauren who knew all too well what that meant. Sadie would see that it happened whether Lauren thought it was right or not. Ignoring the pang of guilt she felt, she said, “I’m ready to sign the lease. This place is better than I ever could have imagined.”
“I knew you’d think that. I have the lease right here, your landlords are out of town so you’ll have to meet them later, but they wanted to get it rented right away.”
By the time they walked out of the apartment Lauren had signed the lease and made a bank transfer to cover the first month’s rent and security deposit. It seemed strange to do business that way, but she’d have to get used to it if she was going to live in the real world for the near future. She’d been living in a cash only world for too long.
An Unconditional Love (BWWM Romance Book 1) Page 4