I pull her hips into mine again, forcing her to rub against my erection, and the moan that passes her lips makes my cock strain against the cotton of my boxer briefs. The need to be inside of her is almost unbearable. Hell, she must feel that same need, because she pulls my face back to hers and kisses me feverishly. Her fingers twist into my hair, guiding me how she wants to be kissed, and then—fuck—she starts grinding against me. I take hold of her nightshirt and lift it over her head, tossing it to the floor and exposing her taut stomach and perfect breasts. Leaning forward, I dip my tongue out to taste her skin before drawing one beaded nipple into my mouth. The soft sounds of her satisfaction as I suck and massage her breasts intensify my want for her.
“Jenna, baby,” I murmur against her neck as I palm her breast. “I’m gonna need you to get out of these panties, because if I do it, I’m just going to just rip the fucking things off of you.”
She laughs softly as she turns to look at me and pushes herself from my lap. Tucking her bottom lip between her teeth, she holds onto my gaze and slides the pink cotton down her legs. I lift my hips and remove my boxers, throwing them with the other articles of clothing we have tossed around this room, and reach for her. Her knees rest on either sides of my thighs, and we lock eyes as she slowly lowers herself onto me. Inch by inch, I’m surrounded by her warmth and I groan from the ecstasy of it all. And then she starts to move, long, rhythmic movements of her pelvis against mine, and I feel like this is the closest to heaven that I’ll ever get.
I’ve needed this, needed her for a long time. And now that I’ve had her, I don’t ever plan on letting her go.
I lean forward again and take her nipple into my mouth as she continues to ride me, and I start to feel that telltale sign of my impending orgasm. I haven’t had sex in forever, so it’s a miracle I’ve lasted even this long. But I refuse to come before her. Taking her ass in my hands, I hold her tight and quickly switch our positions, earning a startled gasp from Jenna as I place her where I was just sitting. I settle myself on my knees in front of her and push her legs further apart and into the sofa cushions as I slowly move in and out of her.
“Mmmm.” She moans and digs her fingers into the cushion behind her head. “Yes, just like that.”
And I give it to her, just like that. Her muscles grow tighter around me, and I realize she’s close but—goddammit—so am I. Reaching between us, I stroke my thumb between her soft curls to find that sweet spot of pleasure and rub.
Jenna’s whole body tenses and her hips buck off of the sofa. “Oh my gosh, Cole.” My name flows from her lips on one of the sexiest moans I’ve heard from her yet, and I’ve got to admit it’s fucking hot as hell.
“Say it again,” I tell her and grit my teeth as I try to hold off my orgasm. My thumb and hips move faster, harder, and I feel her squeeze tighter.
“Cole,” she breathes, barely able to speak. Her hands fly down to my forearms and her fingernails dig into my skin. “Cole! Oh!”
Jenna’s back arches off of the sofa as her muscles spasm around me, and I’m toast. I come harder than I’ve ever come in my entire life and keep pumping into her because it feels too fucking good to stop.
As I drift back to reality from one of the most intense orgasms I’ve ever had, a pang of panic hits me. “Shit,” I mumble.
Jenna’s eyelids flutter open as she catches her breath and looks to me. “What’s the matter?”
“I didn’t use …” I shake my head and ease myself out of her, immediately missing her closeness. “Fuck. Jenna, I’m so sorry.”
She sits up and brushes her fingertips along my jaw. “I didn’t exactly try to stop you.” A soft smile curves her kiss-swollen lips. “I’m perfectly healthy and take birth control. So unless you’ve got something you need to tell me, I think we’re okay.”
“I’m good,” I assure her. “Healthy as a horse.”
The corner of her bottom lip tucks between her teeth as her eyes spark with lust. “Hung like one, too.”
My eyes widen as I hold her gaze and a grin splits my face. “That’s quite a dirty mouth you have there, Miss Olsen.” I stand up and pull her with me, plastering her naked body against mine before reaching down to blow out the candle. “Let’s go put it to good use.”
“If I were to ask you something,” Jenna says. Her head is resting against my chest and her fingers are splayed across my abs as we lie in bed. “Would you answer me truthfully?”
I move the tips up my fingers up and down her spine with a feather-light touch. “Sure.”
“Where’ve you been the past four years?” she asks, snuggling her naked body closer to mine. “And why did you leave?”
Taking a deep breath, I look to the open window and watch the sheer curtains flow with the soft breeze. The storm passed almost an hour ago and left behind a cool, calm summer night—which I am more than grateful for since we still didn’t have any electricity. “It’s not a pretty story, Jenna.”
“Please,” she says softly.
I rest my palm against her back and release a loaded sigh. “I just couldn’t be here anymore. After we got back and I was released from the hospital, everyone seemed so happy to see me, and it just … killed me. Adam was dead, and people were happy that I was alive. It didn’t make any sense to me. And every time I’d hear how lucky I was or how a higher being must’ve been looking out for me, I just got angry. So I packed up and left, not knowing where I was going but knowing I needed to get away.” I leave out the detail about the fight Mark and I had—the fight that triggered my disappearance in the middle of the night.
“Where’d you go?”
“West,” I tell her. “Kentucky, Tennessee, New Mexico—never staying in one place for too long. No matter where I went, it always seemed that something would remind me of what I was running from, and the pain I tried to escape from always caught up with me. I remember one night hitting up a local honky-tonk and just drowning myself in tequila. The numbness was exactly what I’d been looking for, so I kept it up. Every night. Every day. For almost three years.”
Her arm tightens around my waist. “Oh, Cole.” Her voice sounds a little wobbly, and it makes me want to end my story right there. But I continue, knowing she wants to hear this—needs to hear it.
“About a year ago, give or take a few months, I woke up from a drunken bender in the alley by the bar, lying in a pile of my own puke while some punk ass teenagers kicked the shit out of me.” I hear Jenna gasp, but I go on. “Guess they saw me passed out and took advantage. They stole my wallet, the keys to my truck, and left me with both eyes swollen and black and three cracked ribs—not to mention all the other bruises and cuts I sustained.”
Slowly lifting her head away from my chest, Jenna turns to look at me as a tear slips down her cheek.
“Come on, baby, don’t cry,” I tell her as I wipe the tear away with the pad of my thumb. “I’m here. I’m okay.”
“But you weren’t, Cole,” she tells me, and another tear slips from her eye. “You were far from being okay. And to make things worse, you were alone.”
“Trust me, that was a good thing.” Lifting my hand, I gently brush her hair behind her ear. “I was mean and spiteful when I left home—hated everything and everyone. None of you needed to witness that or be subjected to my hatred.” I cup her jaw with my palm and stroke the smooth skin of her cheek with my thumb. “Getting my ass kicked was exactly what I needed, though. I realized the downward spiral I was in and stopped being an ass … eventually. I did the meeting thing for a while to help with the alcohol addiction, but what I really found that worked was keeping myself busy. What’s that thing people always say about idle hands?”
“Idle hands are the devil’s playthings,” Jenna says, resting her cheek on my chest.
“That’s it,” I confirm. “I did a few odd jobs to make enough money to get the hell out of New Mexico, and after buying the first reliable truck I could afford, I left and never turned back.”
“And now you’re he
re,” she says with a sweet smile.
I give her a half grin. “Not quite. I drove north after that and stayed in Colorado for a while—ended up stumbling onto a job that I fell in love with and ultimately decided that that was what I wanted to do with my life. Shortly after that I packed up and came home.”
We lay there in comfortable silence until Jenna lifts her head to look at me. “Do I get to know what this dream career is?”
“Yes.” I smile. “But not tonight. I promise soon, though.” A soft yet dramatic pout forms on Jenna’s lips, and I chuckle as I gently pinch her bottom lip with my fingers. “Now will you do something for me?”
Jenna raises an eyebrow at me with a skeptical look. “What?”
“Sleep,” I tell her, and pull her to me as I kiss the top of her head. “It’s been a very long, very eventful day, and we both need to get some rest.”
As if confirming my statement, Jenna yawns and wiggles to get closer to me.
Kissing her once more against her blonde hair, I drift away shortly after her. And for the first time since I came home, I sleep soundly through the night.
9
jenna
“Jenna.” Cole’s soft voice whispers across my ear, sending a tingle down the whole right side of my body. “Baby, are you awake?” His lips press against my neck as his muscular arms envelop me.
“No,” I grumble, but I snuggle closer to him—loving the way my body perfectly conforms to his. The chorus of chirps from the open window catches my curiosity, and I crack open an eyelid to see sunlight filling the bedroom.
Cole’s soft laughter tickles my skin. “Do you want to be awake?”
“Maybe,” I say and gasp when his teeth gently nip at my shoulder. A shudder ripples through my stomach muscles as his hand skates down my body and slides between my legs. “Mmm.” I moan at his touch, as his fingers seek and find entrance to my core.
“Are you awake now?” he asks, the roughness of his morning voice makes my skin prickle.
“I’m getting there,” I breathe and release another moan as Cole’s fingers work diligently to bring me pleasure. “Keep going.”
He kisses my jaw, my shoulder, then presses his mouth to the sensitive part of my neck and sucks—hard.
“Oh my gosh.” My hand flies up behind me to hold him in place as a wave of pleasure rises within me. I’m close—so close—just a—little—more. My eyes snap open and I loosen my hold on him as panic quickly replaces the pleasure. “Cole, did you hear that?”
“What?” he asks, stilling his movements and leaning slightly away from me.
“That!” I whisper harshly. There is no mistaking a man’s voice coming from the other room. “Someone’s in the house.”
“Stay here,” Cole tells me, and I know from the tone of his voice that his demand is not up for debate. He climbs out of bed and reaches for my robe, folding it in half and wrapping it around his waist like a towel. He looks ridiculous, especially since it’s a very feminine pink robe, and I almost want to laugh at the sight, but my fear of the unknown almost paralyzes me. What if it’s a burglar? Or a crazy person? Oh gosh, what if something bad happens to Cole?
I climb out of bed as he disappears into the hall and throw on the first articles of clothing I find. Taking light steps, I make my way across the room to follow him but stop abruptly when I collide with his chest. “Sorry!”
“I thought I told you to stay put?” he says and reaches out to steady me.
“I know, I’m sorry, I’m—” I pause in the midst of my rush of words and glance from him to the other room. “Why are you back here? Who’s out there?”
A smirk plays at his mouth. “Ferris Bueller.”
I’m instantly confused, and I notice him pick up on it.
“The electric finally came back on,” he explains. “Movie picked up where we left off.”
”Oh,” I say and release a small laugh.
“Now.” Cole moves closer to me and circles his hands around my waist. “What do you say you and I pick up where we left off in here? Come join me for a shower?”
I smile and open my mouth to tell him I’d love nothing more, but my stomach decides to answer for me—grumbling loudly. Embarrassment washes over me.
“Want me to make you some breakfast?”
“No, no,” I tell him and work to rid myself of the blush filling my cheeks. “You go take your shower; I’ll whip us up something to eat.” After receiving a sweet kiss from Cole, and an eyeful of his sexy body when he dropped my robe, I head for the kitchen.
It’s hard to believe that this time yesterday we were just two friends occupying the same house, and now … well, now I’m not quite sure what we are. Something more than just friends, but less than dating—lovers, I guess? A goofy grin spreads across my lips as I think of calling Cole my “lover.” Do people really use that terminology? I wouldn’t know because I’ve never had one. I’ve only ever had Mark, and he and I had been boyfriend and girlfriend for quite a while before taking that next step to love making.
Putting a label on whatever is happening between Cole and me doesn’t matter, though. Boyfriend. Girlfriend. Lovers. I don’t need any of it. I just need him. These past few days have been the most unexpected, most spontaneous, and most exciting I’ve had in a really long time.
Grabbing a whisk from the drawer, I beat the eggs I’ve cracked into a bowl while singing “Twist and Shout” along with the movie, and then I pour the mixture into the skillet I’ve warmed up on the stove. I’m dancing around like an idiot, but I don’t care. I’m in a great mood and nothing’s going to change that.
“You seem awfully chipper this morning.”
My heart falls to my stomach. Oh crap. “Emma,” I say and turn to look at her as she closes the door behind her. “What are you doing here?”
“We had those bad storms roll through last night. I tried calling to see if you’d made out okay, but you didn’t answer.” She glances back to the door and gestures with her thumb. “Who’s truck is that?”
“My phone doesn’t get any signal in the house,” I explain and watch as she glances around the room. My eyes quickly pinpoint my nightshirt, panties, and Cole’s boxers scattered around on the floor. I’m mortified. “Emma, I need to tell you som—”
“Do you have a guy here?” Emma asks me in a hushed tone as she turns to me wide-eyed and amused.
Panic settles in my chest, and I’m pretty sure my facial expression shows my guilt.
“Jenna Olsen.” Emma smiles and softly high fives me. “It’s about time you got back in the game. Who is it? Do I know him? You know what? Never mind, I’m just going to get out of here and leave you guys to it. But you better call me soon because I want to know every filthy little detail and—”
The bathroom door opens and Cole’s footsteps sound from the hallway.
I’m having a mini panic attack, and I can’t decide whether I should run away or run away really fast.
“Smells great in here, Jen,” Cole says as he walks into the kitchen, a towel wrapped low on his hips while a smaller one covers his head as he dries his hair. “You better eat up and get your energy, because you’re going to need it for what I’ve got planned for your hot little body.” He slides the towel off of his head and his sexy grin quickly fades when he reads my face.
“Cole?” Emma says, her voice a mixture of shocked and confused.
His face whips from me to his sister. “Em,” Cole replies, just as shocked, and grabs hold of the towel around his waist, securing it. “What are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here?” Emma’s breathing kicks up a notch as she stares at Cole, her eyes loaded with bewilderment. “What are you doing here?” She glances from him to me and back to him again. “And what the hell is going on?”
10
jenna
“Take it easy, Em,” Cole says and takes a step in my direction.
I immediately shy away, putting some much-needed space between us. What is he thinking? I
can’t be near him right now with Emma here, especially since he’s wearing nothing but a towel.
“I will not take it easy,” Emma cuts in. “I haven’t seen you in years, and I come out here to Mom and Dad’s lake house to find you with my best friend. And you …” Emma turns her icy glare to me, and my pulse skyrockets. “You’re secretly fucking my brother?”
“Emma,” I plead. My chest aches from her obvious anger toward me. I can’t believe I did this and didn’t think of the consequences. What did I expect her to say when she found out? That’s awesome, Jenna! It’s totally okay that you’ve been keeping Cole all to yourself and not letting his loved ones know he’s okay or that he’s back in town. Your happiness is all that matters. How could I be so selfish?
“That’s enough,” Cole intercedes. I feel his hand wrap around my waist as he draws me to him. My mind urges me to move, but my body craves the comfort, so I allow it. “The only person you need to be mad at is me. If you want, we can go talk, but you need to chill the hell out first.”
My heart is beating so hard as I look to Emma, silently begging for her forgiveness.
“Fine,” she clips. “But you need to go put some clothes on because I can’t take you seriously in that.” She turns from him to me, and I don’t get a chance to read her face before she cuts her eyes back to Cole. “I’ll be on the porch when you’re decent.”
As I watch Emma exit the house, I catch the scent of something burning and rush to the stove. The eggs are completely ruined, and as I turn off the burner I drop my head and let all of the emotions I’ve been holding back loose. My fifteen minutes of happiness are long gone, and back is the feeling of loss and emptiness.
Cole’s arms envelop me from behind, and he kisses my hair before turning me around. “Don’t let her get to you, Jen,” he tells me as he wipes away my tears. “She’s more in shock than anything, and she’ll get over it soon enough.”
What's Left of Me Page 4