by Summers, MJ
Gabriela, meanwhile, had been struggling to contain her pleasure. Her smile was a bit wider, she wore more perfume, a bit more makeup and her clothes seemed to get tighter and more low cut as they days wore on. She knew it would only be a matter of time before she was back in his bed for good. She had to be patient and show due respect for him losing Claire but she would be ready for him when he finally returned to her. That evening, when Cole went over to give Tomas his bath and bottle before bed, Gabriela answered the door in a tight red tank top and black yoga pants, the combination showing off her curves perfectly.
"Cole," she purred, as she opened the door, "You look tired. Come in and sit down. I made some seafood jambalaya, I remembered it was your favourite. Tomas had a long nap, so he's not ready for bed just yet."
"Oh," Cole said, taking off his boots and coat, "That sounds nice, thank you."
Tomas was sitting in his exersaucer with a huge grin for Cole. He cooed and laughed when Cole walked over and crouched down to see him.
"You're still wide awake, buddy? How's my boy?" he asked picking him up in he air and blowing a raspberry on his chubby little neck. Tomas squealed with laughter and grabbed Cole's nose. Cole played with him and chatted happily for a few minutes before sitting down at the table in front of a bowl of soup. Gabriela poured two glasses of wine and brought over a basket of buns.
Tomas sat contentedly on Cole's lap, playing with a napkin as Cole picked up his spoon and started eating. Gabriela beamed, watching the domestic scene unfold in front of her.
"This is delicious. Thank you for inviting me, Gabby," he said having a sip of wine.
"You don't need an invitation. You are welcome here anytime, Cole, day or night," Gabriela said, her eyes locked on his. Her meaning was unmistakable.
Cole looked quickly back down at his soup, feeling somehow trapped. Gabriela took no notice and continued to chat as they ate. She told Cole about some of the cute and funny things that Tomas had been doing lately and she asked Cole about how the ranch was doing. Cole didn't say too much about it, just enough not to be rude but not enough to bore her. Gabriela somehow managed to eat her entire meal without smudging her lipstick. When they were finished eating, Cole stood up with Tomas in one arm and cleared his plate and wine glass with his other hand.
"Well, I should get this little guy in the bath," he said walking out of the kitchen, "Thank you for dinner."
Gabriela watched him walk into the bathroom, feeling rather satisfied with herself. It was their first real meal as a family and in her mind it had gone very well. She hadn't been positive that he would even accept her invitation to dinner, but he had. She had managed to remind Cole that Claire wasn't the only one who could cook and soon she would remind him of all the other things she could do.
She quickly tidied up the kitchen and warmed up Tomas's bottle. Bringing it to Tomas's bedroom, she leaned against the door watching Cole attempt to get their baby into his sleeper, while Tomas squirmed around.
"He's always on the go, isn't he?" she said.
Cole looked up at her, "That's for sure. I don't know how you keep up with him all day."
"He keeps me in good shape. Better than the gym!" she laughed. "You are really amazing with him. Such a natural at being a dad."
"Well, I guess we're figuring it out as we go," Cole said, snapping up the final snap. He picked Tomas up off the change table and rubbed his nose to his son's, "Isn't that right, buddy? We're figuring it all out."
He walked over and took the bottle from Gabriela and sat down in the rocking chair. Gabriela grabbed a receiving blanket and brought it over to Cole, letting her fingers linger on his hand as she passed it to him. She leaned down to give Tomas a big kiss, knowing that Cole would get a nice view of her cleavage and lacy black bra if he bothered to look.
"Boa noite, meu amor" she whispered to Tomas as she rubbed his little forehead with her hand. She glanced at Cole to see if he was looking at her chest and was disappointed to see that he was staring at Tomas instead. She walked out of the room, flicking her long, straight hair behind her as she went.
When Cole left Tomas a little while later, Gabriela was sitting on the couch with her legs curled under her. She had two glasses of wine on the coffee table in front of her and the lights were low.
She patted the seat next to her, "Come and sit a while. Have a drink with me."
Cole walked over and sat down. He wanted to talk about the next steps in him gaining parental rights and getting Tomas his American citizenship. Gabriela reached down to the coffee table with both hands, picking up the glasses. She handed him his wine and took a sip of hers.
"Thank you for putting him to bed again. He gets so excited to see you. I think he gets bored of being with just his dull old mom all day."
Cole ignored her obvious attempt for a compliment, "It's what I want to do, Gabriela, he is my son and I want to take care of him."
"And you do it so well," she gazed into his eyes, "Cole, I know this has been such a difficult time for you. You must be so lonely now and I want you to know I'm here for you. If you need to talk or anything..." she traced his shoulder with her fingertip.
Cole swallowed the wine in his mouth and shifted a little away from her on the couch. "You know, I bet you could use a break. Maybe one night soon, Tomas could stay at my place for a night or the weekend so you could go out or get some sleep or whatever."
"I'd love that! How thoughtful of you!"
"Do you think he'd be okay without you for a night?"
"I'm sure he'd be just fine with you."
"Okay, great. Just tell me when and we'll set it up," he drained the rest of his wine and stood up, deciding that leaving was the safest choice for that night. "I should go. I need to get some sleep. Thanks again for supper."
Gabriela sat on the couch pouting for a long time after he left. Part of her thought she could get him into bed that night. She wasn't used to having to work so hard for a man's attention, certainly not for Cole's. After a while, she realized that she could use the sleepover to her advantage. She sent Cole a text later that evening, "Maybe Tomas can stay at your place next Saturday afternoon and night? I could use some time to go shopping."
"Sounds great - I'm free."
Cole felt a hint of contentment; having Tomas there would be the best way to distract himself from how miserable he was. He sat on the couch with Otis asleep on his feet. Sports highlights were on but he hadn't really taken any of it in. He wished it was warmer out so he could go swimming to help alleviate the restlessness he was feeling. Picking up his cell phone, he checked for a message from Claire, but nothing had come. He scrolled through his phone so he could look at pictures he had taken of her. Seeing her image was like torture for him and yet he couldn't stop himself. He needed to see her beautiful face. He came to the picture she had sent him from the dressing room at Victoria's Secret. He could feel himself getting hard, as he stared at in her in the blue frilly lingerie. He could remember the feel of it under his fingertips the first time she wore it for him, how they had made love late into the night.
He regretted promising not to contact her. He would never break his word no matter how badly he yearned to hear her voice. She was the only one who could comfort him right now, but he had to do without that and he knew it. He had to let her forget. Shutting off the TV, he wandered restlessly around his cabin, finally going to bed.
When he turned the light off, he laid his head down on Claire's pillow like he did every night since she left. It still smelled like her. He knew he should stop this but he just couldn't bring himself to wash her pillow case yet. He lay awake, hoping to dream of her so he could feel happy for a while, even if it was when he was asleep.
He wondered how long it would take for this pain to go away. The thought that Claire was feeling as utterly hopeless as he was haunted Cole. He wanted her to be happy and move on with her life, even though the thought of another man touching her made him physically sick. His mind wandered to Gabriela, in her ca
bin alone. She was certainly beautiful and sexy but he had no interest in being with her again. Any love that they had shared was over and he just hoped he could find a way for them to co-exist peacefully. Maybe someday he would want to be with her again, but for now, he just couldn't think about another woman in his life or his bed.
He rolled over and turned his phone back on, finding the picture of Claire in the blue lingerie. He gazed at her image for a long while, letting his mind drift back to that night. He moved his hand under the covers and into his underwear, pulling them down to release his cock. He was hard from the sight of her pouty lips and her eyes staring back at him. He could hear her voice in his mind and see her mouth moving as she begged him to fuck her. He was moving over her, teasing her, coming close to entering her and then moving away. 'Fuck me, Cole, please, now'. He gripped his cock, moving his hand up and down its length as he heard her little moan, felt her mouth on his, and her tight pussy wrapped around him, drenching him. He continued moving his hand as he imagined her riding him, rubbing herself over him, arching her back as he pulled down her negligee to reveal her breasts. He could feel his mouth sucking on her nipples and them growing hard under his lips. He let his mind wander until he finally came, releasing all the pent up lust that he had for Claire.
* * *
In London, Claire lay in her bed staring at the clock. It read 4:07. She had been wide awake for over an hour. She picked up her cell phone but there were still no messages from Cole. He was keeping his word and hadn't contacted her. She couldn't stop herself from wishing she would hear from him though. Some little sign that he was still thinking of her.
In her heart she knew he was feeling as lonely for her as she was for him, but her mind couldn't help but imagine him with Gabriela. She could picture the two of them watching their little boy play, eating together and laughing over a glass of wine. She wondered how long it would be before they slept together. She knew Gabriela would be working on it, making sure she claimed her prize. Claire could hardly blame her; if he was Tomas's father, of course she would want to make them a family. The image of it was pure hell for her. She had left so that Tomas would have a chance for his parents to make a go of it and logically the thought of it should bring her some type of satisfaction, knowing she had done the right thing by him. There was no joy for her in it though. Not even the tiniest bit.
She thought about Christmas and how much she had been looking forward to spending the holiday together, exchanging gifts, sleeping in, making love. Being truly in love for the first time during the holiday season would have been magical for her but now it was just one of many dreams that she needed to forget. They should have been planning their trip to London and their wedding instead of her laying here alone and miserable.
She decided to listen to some music to help her relax. She put in her ear buds and selected Fix You, by Cold Play. Immediately, she was transported back to the restaurant at the ranch. It was late in the evening and she and Cole had just finished a candlelit dinner after their first big fight. The song came on and Cole pulled her to him to slow dance. She could feel his hard body and smell him as though he were right there with her. The feeling of his hands on her waist, caressing up and down her body, gripping her ass, the way he looked at her with such adoration as he lifted her shirt over her head - it all seemed so real to her.
Claire let her hand wander down her body as she fantasized about Cole. She caressed her breasts and then let one hand find its way inside her panties. She gently slid her fingers inside her warm pussy, rubbing herself as she dreamed of her perfect cowboy. In her mind, it was his strong fingers inside her panties, pressing against her flesh, moving slowly but firmly. She could feel his kisses on her neck, him sucking on her ear lobe, and his mouth on her nipples. His muscular body was hovering over hers now, pressing himself into her over and over, bringing her a pleasure she hadn't known existed until she met him. With these images in her mind, she brought herself to a slow, sweet climax, giving her some release from the hollow existence that was now her reality. She drifted back to sleep eventually, with the feeling of hopelessness settling in on her chest like a boulder.
Chapter 9
Colorado
Over the next week, Cole was swamped with preparations for Thanksgiving. They were fully booked for the holiday and although he needed to oversee creating a winter wonderland, his heart was definitely not in it. He worked quietly and quickly, without feeling the joy that this time of year usually brought him. His parents had left for a week to visit friends, making it lonelier for him.
Peter, the new chef, was working out as well as Claire said he would. He knew his way around the kitchen and had created an excellent menu for the Thanksgiving holiday. He was enthusiastic and kind. Cole was grateful that he was there so he didn't have to worry about that end of things at least.
Cole repeatedly caught himself wanting to talk to Claire about how much he liked Peter and then remembered that he was there because she was gone. Each day seemed to bring with it a new realization of just how much he had lost when Claire left. She wasn't just the woman that shared his bed, she was the one with whom he had shared his dreams and his life in its entirety. In a very short period of time, Claire had helped him to develop the vision for the future of the ranch. They had become partners in the truest sense of the word. And now she was gone. He knew without a doubt that Gabriela had no interest in the ranch other than maybe the potential revenue and what type of lifestyle it could afford her. She would never love it; it would never really be her home.
Gabriela had invited him for supper several nights that week. He made excuses a couple of times and ate with her twice. He wanted to be around Tomas as much as possible without leading her on.
Saturday afternoon found Gabriela making last minute finishing touches to her makeup and clothes. She spritzed on some of her perfume that used to drive Cole wild, and inspected herself in the mirror. It was definitely harder to make a sexy impression in the winter. She had put on a fitted ivory dress shirt, with the buttons open to reveal a hint of her perky breasts which were held in place by a light pink lacy push-up bra. The colour of the shirt showed off her olive skin tone, still dark and creamy in spite of the past few cold weeks. Her shirt was tucked into skinny jeans in dark denim and she wore tall black leather boots. She decided to go with a glossy red lipstick and pulled her hair up into a maze of twists at the back, giving her a polished look.
Cole knocked on the door right on time to pick up Tomas and bring his things over to his cabin. Gabriela flashed him her best smile as she opened the door.
"Hey you," she said, leaning against the door so he had to brush against her to get inside.
"Hi Gabby," Cole answered, "Where's my little guy?"
Tomas was sitting on a blanket on the floor of the living room, surrounded by toys. He turned when he heard Cole's voice and grinned at him. Cole took his shoes off and walked over to Tomas, crouching down to say hi.
Gabriela walked over holding a necklace in one hand, "Can you help me with this?" she asked.
Cole stood and took the necklace from her as she turned her back to him and tilted her head to the side a little to reveal her long neck. "I got so excited about a day out that I might be a little overdressed for shopping."
Cole managed to close the tiny clasp, "There you go. All ready?"
"Yes, I have all of Tomas's things packed," she said, turning back to him as she put her earrings on.
"Great!" Cole said, grabbing Tomas's winter coat off the top of his diaper bag and walking over to get him dressed to go outside. "You ready to go little man? You get to stay at dad's house tonight! Just you, me and Otis. What do you think of that?"
Tomas grabbed Cole's chin and tried to eat it. Cole zipped up his coat and then attempted to gently put his fleece hat on his little head while Tomas squirmed in irritation.
"Here, let me help you," Gabriela said, sliding the hat on Tomas's head. "There. Now, if you take the playpen and my little sweetie
, I'll bring his diaper bag. All the bottles are in there, some rice cereal and jars of baby food."
"I can easily carry everything. You get going. Enjoy your freedom," Cole ignored the look of disappointment on Gabriela's face. He continued to smile politely at her as he slung the bag over his shoulder and picked the playpen up with his free hand.
"Okay, Tomas, say bye to your mom."
Gabriela stepped over and gave the baby a big kiss and said good-bye in Portuguese. She smiled at them both and said, "I hope my two favourite guys have a terrific time!"
"Thanks, we will," Cole said as Gabriela opened the door for them.
* * *
That night, Cole got into bed content for the first time in weeks, feeling as though he had done well with his little boy. Cole had taken him for a long walk outside, played and read a few board books together in the armchair in Cole's bedroom. He enjoyed feeding him his meals and giving him his bath and bottle. Tomas didn't seem to be upset about his mother not being there. Cole decided to have him sleep upstairs on the other side of his bedroom, in case Tomas woke up in the night. Cole went to sleep without having a night cap, another thing that hadn't happened in a long while.