“You’re welcome to join us. That is, if you didn’t have anything else to do. Or anyone waiting on you?” His very masculine voice sent shivers across her skin.
Grace tried not to blush again. “I don’t want to intrude. Your family must be waiting.”
“My daughter and her husband are out snorkeling while I watch Eliza for them. They should be returning in about an hour for dinner.”
“Ah, and Eliza decided she wanted dessert before dinner,” Grace teased.
Cole actually blushed. “I can’t deny this little princess anything.” He reached up and tickled Eliza’s sides, eliciting a giggle fit. “You’re really welcome to join us.”
Grace looked to Cole’s hands and did not see a ring. Didn’t mean he wasn’t married. Some couples didn’t bother with rings.
“Um, I—” Grace stumbled before quickly accepting the offer for ice cream. She definitely wanted to spend time in their presence.
“Are you sure you won’t be spoiling your appetite for dinner?” Cole teased.
Grace smiled. “Absolutely sure.”
“Goody! Let’s go!” Eliza sang.
“The princess has spoken,” Cole said.
“I guess casual attire is acceptable?” Grace asked, immediately feeling self-conscious in her bathing suit and practically non-existent cover. But given that Cole and Eliza were dressed similarly, she needn’t have worried.
Cole gave her a quick but heated perusal before meeting her gaze to softly say, “You look perfect.” Grace barely had time to react as he cleared his throat and turned around. “This way.”
The three made their way across the sand and through the trees as Grace’s insides raced. She couldn’t contain the smile that took shape on her face. They quickly cleared the trees, coming to the lodge that had an outside seating area. Cole chose a table at the end of the deck and deposited Eliza in a chair before holding another one out for Grace.
“Thank you,” Grace said as she sat down.
“Sure.” It didn’t take long before a waiter arrived and Cole ordered bowls of ice cream for everyone before sitting himself.
“Are you here with family, Grace?”
Grace watched Eliza play with the flowers in the center of the table, tucking one behind her ear. “Very pretty, Eliza,” Grace said. She then looked up at Cole, trying to muster a smile. “No, I’m here alone.”
“Alone? No husband?” He must have seen her quick flinch before beginning to answer because Cole quickly spoke again. “I’m sorry, that was inappropriate.”
“It’s okay. I’m widowed. And I’m sitting here wondering about Eliza’s grandma. Your wife, I presume?”
“Ex-wife.”
“She went to Heaven,” Eliza innocently offered.
“I’m so sorry.” Grace was horrified, and could certainly sympathize. She saw pain flash across Cole’s face before it was quickly masked.
“We’d been divorced for ten years when she passed two years ago.”
Before he could say more, the ice cream arrived and Eliza dug in with enthusiasm. It wasn’t long before she had the dessert on her face and chocolate sprinkles scattered around her bowl. Grace and Cole, however, just sat staring at one another, forgetting all about their frozen treat.
“Our divorce was amicable,” he started softly while Eliza was preoccupied with her own treat. “Thankfully our daughter, Theresa, survived. She loved her mother very much.”
“She must love you very much too, if you’re taking vacations together,” Grace supplied.
He chuckled, and the sound caused Grace’s insides to flutter. “Yeah, I guess she still loves her old man.”
Grace just shook her head, thinking Cole was hardly an old man. If they were near the same age, that’d make her an old woman, and she refused to accept that.
“I’m five,” Eliza suddenly exclaimed proudly, obviously wanting to join the conversation.
Grace smiled at the precious child. “You’re beautifully tall for your age.” This earned her a beaming smile.
“I’m going to be taller than Grandpa and play basketball one day.”
“Is that so? Well, I’ll look forward to seeing you play one day so I can say, ‘I met her when she was a little girl’.”
Eliza giggled.
When she looked back to Cole, his gaze was searching … for what, Grace couldn’t say. He shook his head as if clearing his thoughts before picking up his spoon. “Guess we’d better eat our ice cream before it becomes milk.”
Grace only nodded before picking up her spoon as well, eating, but not really tasting what used to be her favorite indulgence. Minutes passed in silence as the bowls were cleaned.
“Grandpa, I’m tired,” Eliza said just before yawning.
“I bet. You didn’t nap, and you’ve been playing hard almost all day long.” Cole stood, picking Eliza up into his arms. “I suppose I should get you back to your mom and dad. Can you say good-bye to Grace?”
As Eliza turned to Grace, she gave a sleepy good-bye.
“Good bye, Eliza. Very nice meeting you.”
Cole looked at Grace, but before he could say a word, she spoke up. “Very nice meeting you, too, Cole. Have a good evening.” As she turned to walk away, she ended with, “And thank you for the ice cream.”
“You’re welcome,” he softly called out as she descended the steps and found herself walking alone again on the beach.
Grace fought the urge to turn her head and see if Cole still stood on the deck, watching her leave. Instead, she continued on back to her resort, thinking about the interesting encounter with the handsome stranger and his adorable granddaughter.
Chapter Five
Hours later, after returning and eating a decent dinner, Grace took a towel down to the beach. As night descended, she watched the sky’s pastel colors give way to more and more stars, and a three-quarter moon began to light up the night.
She closed her eyes and let the night surround her as the pleasant sound of the waves lulled Grace into a dreamy state. As the warm air caressed her skin, the image of Cole filled her head. She sucked in a breath as her eyes flew open, unable to believe where her thoughts had gone.
“If Laurell could see me now,” she whispered.
“And what would Laurell see?”
Grace gasped, turning to the voice in the darkness. Before she could even try to scramble to her feet, Cole appeared, his handsome features illuminated by the moon’s glow.
“I’m sorry I startled you.” He continued to approach, slowly, coming within a few feet of her towel.
Hand over her heart, Grace responded. “Oh my goodness, Cole! What on earth are you doing here?” Not that she was too upset to see him, being oh-so-male and making her heart pound for reasons beyond his surprise appearance. Although she knew the night concealed her blush, Grace looked away, confused and embarrassed about her thoughts regarding Cole.
“I apologize, Grace, I, uh, I guess I just wanted to see you again.”
Hearing him stumble, his uncertainty, had her turning back to him. Perhaps she wasn’t the only one feeling something … new and unexpected. Wasn’t she beyond feeling like a shy innocent though? Because she was anything but…
“May I join you?” Cole’s request brought her out of her thoughts as she studied him. And he was definitely something to study, so virile and enticing.
“Yes,” she said softly. Grace scooted herself to the edge of the large towel, allowing room for Cole to join her. As he settled himself with his hands resting carelessly over his bent knees, his scent aroused her. It was so unlike anything Michael had ever used. And even with him sitting a foot away, his heat still managed to reach out to her, engulfing her and wrapping her in a blanket of desire.
What is happening to me?
Cole broke the silence, his voice low. “Must seem bizarre for me to be here.” He turned his head to peer at her.
“A little?” she questioned. His chuckle put her a bit more at ease. “Not that you’re bad company
,” she found herself saying.
“Thank you?”
She heard the grin in his voice as she turned to him and managed to see his eyes sparkling. Grace couldn’t help but smile. “At least I don’t think so, but you are here, so maybe your daughter got tired of you after all?” she teased.
“Not far off the guess. She thinks she was monopolizing my time and wanted me to go out and have some fun of my own.”
“And did you?”
“No. Well, until now.” He continued to stare at her, his eyes holding truth, possibly holding a similar desire that Grace was unexpectedly feeling. He seemed eager to say more, but hesitated. Finally, he spoke again. “May I ask you a personal question?”
“You may ask.”
“How long have you been widowed?”
She turned away to stare at the water. “Four months.”
“And how long were you married?”
“Thirty years.” Grace watched small ripples in the ocean being highlighted by the moon’s glow, looking like silver ribbons dancing across the surface.
She barely registered the “wow” that Cole uttered. He followed up with, “I’m sorry.”
“No need to be sorry.”
“Well, you were sorry earlier when you learned about my ex-wife.”
Grace nodded as she said, “Yes, yes, I was. So we’re both sorry. I suppose that’s the automatic human response, to feel sorry for someone’s loss.”
Cole only nodded. After a moment of silence, he asked, “So who’s Laurell? And what would she say if she could see you now?”
“Laurell is my best friend. She was my rock through my darker days, the one who pushed me to still come on this trip. I think she’d be happy that I’m enjoying myself.”
“Was this a trip planned for you and your husband?”
“Yes,” she answered, looking down at her clasped hands, twirling the diamond she still wore. “It was a dream destination of ours, and the thought of taking it alone was, at first, depressing.”
“And now?”
Grace looked toward Cole who was staring intently at her, almost as if waiting for some kind of permission, some kind of sign for something more.
“And now I’m glad I came,” she answered softly.
“This may sound completely inappropriate, but I desperately want to kiss you, Grace.”
Grace felt her jaw slacken, her eyes widen. When she tried to shake her head, either in denial or bewilderment—she wasn’t sure which—Cole spoke again.
“I know it’s crazy, we hardly know each other, but I can’t stop what I’m feeling.”
“And what are you feeling?” She dared to look at him again, wanting to see his honest answer as best she could in the light of the moon.
His intense gaze on her had his brow creasing. “An instant attraction that’s gnawing at me.”
Grace couldn’t help but snort as she said, “Well, that’s highly encouraging. Please, continue.”
Cole laughed, the sound sending more goose bumps across her already sensitized skin.
“When I saw you standing there in your bathing suit, that cover doing nothing to hide your perfects curves…” Her head whipped around at his surprising words as he rushed on. “And Eliza first hid behind your legs as if it had been the most natural thing for her to do. As if she’d known you all her life, and you played along with our game, something, clicked, for lack of a better word.”
“Well, it wasn’t too hard to play along with such a cutie.” She paused before adding, “With Eliza, that is.” When Cole’s laughter continued, Grace joined in.
“You’re so easy-going, Grace. You’re witty and fun.” His voice grew serious with his next statement. “You’re a beautiful woman.”
Certain her blush could be seen—given how bright the moon’s light was and the time their eyes had had to adjust—Grace still dipped her head, uneasy about revealing the attraction she felt.
“You’re not comfortable hearing that, are you?” Cole asked. “Is it too soon after … after your husband’s death?”
“Possibly. I don’t know.” She shook her head at herself, still not looking at Cole. “It seems unfaithful to even sit here with you, let alone entertain the idea of being attracted to you,” she finished on a whisper.
“I understand.” His compassion was evident in those simple two words.
“For a month after his death, I felt as if I wanted to die as well. I saw no reason to do anything. I was a mess. I lost half of my life. We were supposed to grow old together.”
“But then life had other plans,” he said as if in understanding.
“Obviously.” She scoffed. The anger she thought she had purged still harbored deep within her. “It took my friend and a wonderful counselor for me to see that my life wasn’t over. It was just moving on to another phase. How I chose to deal with that was entirely up to me.”
When Cole remained silent, Grace had the courage to finally look at him as he only nodded before staring out into the night.
“So, you’re attracted to me, are you?” Cole said, breaking the silence.
Grace couldn’t help the laughter that erupted from her. It felt good to laugh. To have this incredibly handsome stranger elicit this comfortable gaiety.
“Well, hey now, don’t crush my ego.” He turned to look at her.
“Ha! I don’t think that’d be possible.” She met his gaze and all teasing vanished.
“Oh, it’s possible,” he softly said. “Grace, I’m of the age where games are ridiculous and a waste of time. But it doesn’t mean I can’t still feel a knot in my stomach that equates to nerves, or a jolt to my system that tells me exactly what I want.”
“And what is it you want, Cole?” she whispered, desperate to hear his answer but scared witless as well.
“To kiss you.”
His words nearly wrung a sob from her as her insides also quivered with nervous anticipation.
“Please do,” she whispered.
Their eyes remained opened as Cole leaned in to gently place his lips on hers. At the moment of contact, Grace’s lids closed and she sighed into his mouth. His kiss was tentative at first before gaining confidence, boldness. He angled his head and took the kiss deeper, bringing his hand to the back of her head. The gesture was possessive yet comforting, and it seemed forever since she’d experienced such innocent intimacy.
His soft demands were … perfect.
Grace gave in, losing herself to the wondrous feeling. She explored and sampled, gave and took. She turned into him and wrapped her hand around Cole’s bicep, steadying herself against the wave of delirium, of delight.
He licked his tongue across her lips, preparing her for its invasion, and when she opened for him, the flood gates burst. They were both swept up in the sudden fierceness of the emotional tide. Cole brought his other hand around so both now framed Grace’s head. And Grace found her free hand fisting Cole’s shirt as if to anchor herself in what had become a storm.
Grace could barely breathe as every molecule of her being never wanted this to end. She was overcome with the need to crawl onto his lap. But all too soon Cole was releasing her, resting his forehead against hers, panting. She was no better off as she struggled to even out her breaths while she still clung to him.
“Wow,” she whispered, nearly in awe of the intensity they shared.
“And then some,” Cole responded. He drew back to look at her, and Grace met his stare. “That was pretty amazing, to say the least.”
Grace grinned, only nodding as she was unable to find the words. She pushed the tiny tendrils of guilt to the back of her mind as she warred internally. Just as she was telling herself there was nothing wrong with seeking pleasure again, another part reeled as a sense of betrayal welled up.
Especially when the overwhelming thought was that Michael’s kisses had never affected her this way.
Is it too soon? And with a man I barely know? Where could this lead?
“I hear the gears turning.�
� Cole gently tapped her temple. “What are you thinking, Grace?”
“Desire, elation, guilt, uncertainty. How’s that for starters?” She chuckled.
“Plenty.” He chuckled in return. “Kinda what I was thinking too.”
She pulled back slightly. “Really?”
“Really.” He kissed her forehead. “I won’t say I’m sorry, but I hope I didn’t push too far. I can’t seem to help myself.”
His expression was gentle, sincere. His eyes searched hers as she watched more emotions play out across his face.
Was she ready to explore?
“I just wonder where this can lead.” As Grace released his shirt and sat back, Cole’s hands found hers in her lap. She squeezed his hands, enjoying the simple contact. “We’ve just met, and as you said, we know practically nothing about one another.”
“Well, let’s remedy that. What do you want to know?” He brought a hand to his lips as he gazed at her with excitement.
Grace smiled. “Everything.”
Grace and Cole spent the next few hours learning about one another. Throughout their conversation, simple glances and caresses took place, leaving Grace feeling incredibly comfortable with him.
Cole, last name Spencer, age fifty-one, had married his wife when they were twenty-five, divorced at thirty-nine. They realized they made better friends than spouses, and when her cancer diagnosis came, he had been by her side through it all.
Grace was astonished and delighted to learn he was from Bremerton, owning two restaurants, one located there and the other in Bellevue. His son-in-law was head chef at the place in Bellevue and would soon be taking it over completely.
After she detailed her life with Michael, her teaching and her hobbies, they shared more kisses that had Grace reluctant to say good night. They made plans to meet in the morning for brunch, with Cole wanting to introduce her to his daughter and son-in-law. He also wanted to talk about spending more time together, both here in paradise and back at home.
After a smoldering kiss good night that left Grace breathless, she stood at the entrance of her bure, watching Cole slip away into the shadows. While she processed the swiftness of her attraction to Cole, she could admit although it was startling, it was also exhilarating.
Second Time Love Page 3