Now and Then

by Brenda Rothert

  When Emma turned back to the large, open room of her apartment, the lights had been dimmed and soft, sensual music played. She wondered if Cole was going to watch her paint, forcing her to work with desire burning between her legs.

  The thought aroused her, and she made quick work of mixing her paints. With Cole, everything felt sweetly sensual, with a hint of something more than she’d ever experienced. She’d never been turned on by painting.

  He waited next to her easel, wearing only his jeans, and Emma couldn’t look away, even as she sat her paints on a nearby table. She wanted to reach out and trace her fingers along his lines, beneath the waistband of the jeans that hung casually low.

  “Take your shirt off,” he said softly. His gaze was hot with desire, and Emma couldn’t pull her t-shirt over her head fast enough. Cole’s eyes moved over her lacy black bra, and she clung to her paintbrush, trembling with anticipation. He approached and reached for the button of her jeans, and a jolt of longing shot straight between her thighs when his fingers grazed her stomach as he unfastened them and slid them down.

  As he sat down on the metal vintage bench that Emma painted from, she felt her eyes widen. He reached an arm out and lowered her in front of him, so she was seated between his legs, her back against his powerful chest. She felt his hardness behind her, making her gasp as she wondered if she would be able to think about anything else.

  “Paint for me, baby,” he said in a low, sexy tone, and Emma responded immediately. She dipped her brush in the paint, dotting the canvas with a bright spring green shade. Cole’s hands grazed her shoulders and neck, the sensation touching every nerve in her body.

  She lowered the brush, reveling in the feel of his fingers piling her long hair over one of her shoulders so he could brush his lips over the bare skin of her neck. He nipped at her earlobe and spread his hands across her thighs, moving them slowly down to her knees.

  “Cole,” she murmured, her body unconsciously pressing back against his.

  “You’re so beautiful, Em. I want to know what every last inch of you feels like.”

  One of his hands slid down past her knee, skimming along her calf before he grasped her ankle. She tipped her head back, trying to regain herself and paint like he wanted her to.

  She grabbed a new brush, making dark, bold strokes across the canvas that mirrored the intensity of her emotions. As Cole unfastened her bra and slid it off slowly, she pressed her lips together to withhold the expletives that threatened to spill out. Her senses were overloaded by the smell and feel of him.

  When he pressed a hand to her cheek and turned her mouth to his, Emma moaned in anticipation of his kiss. His tongue entered her mouth just as his other hand cupped her exposed breast, and she kissed him back hungrily. It didn’t last as long as she wanted before Cole turned her back to the canvas, and she panted with desire as she painted.

  The combination of her deepest joy, painting, with the erotic sensations of Cole teasing her body, made Emma sure she would come without him even getting close to the wetness between her thighs.

  His hands slid across her stomach, up to her breasts, where he traced his fingers in circles around her nipples. Emma’s body was on fire as she painted, and she felt the groan that rose in Cole’s chest as she pushed her body back into his forcefully.

  His fingers twined into the ends of her hair, pulling it back to allow him easy access to her neck, which he kissed with a hunger that made Emma ache for him to toss her onto the bed and finish this sweet, slow torture.

  She realized it wouldn’t last much longer as his fingers slid past the seam of her panties. He would be shocked when he discovered how wet she was, but this had been a long time coming.

  “Oh, fuck …” he said softly as his fingers slid into her. Emma had no idea what she was painting as she circled her hips against the pressure of his fingers.

  “Cole,” she panted, breathless with desire. “Please don’t stop.”

  “I won’t stop, baby. God, you feel amazing.”

  He seemed to know exactly what she wanted, and as his fingers circled faster and harder, Emma cried out loudly from the force of the sensation building within her.

  “Ah … Cole! Oh, God …”

  His other arm encircled her waist, pulling her body back against his, and another loud, involuntary cry escaped Emma’s lips before her body fell slack. She was glad he was holding on to her, because she was sure she would slide off the bench if he let go. The paintbrush dropped through her fingers and landed near their feet on the floor.

  Cole pressed his face into her hair, keeping her body close against him until her breathing returned to normal. She was searching for words when he lifted her out of the chair, still clutching his arms around her middle. The heat of his chest pressing against her back was so good that she was sorry when he sat her on the bed.

  Emma fell back onto her quilt, arching her back in a stretch as she continued to come down from the orgasm that had racked her. Cole’s eyes roamed her body as he unbuttoned his jeans with one hand and fished in his pocket with the other.

  His desire made Emma’s body light with arousal again, and her eagerness returned with full force as Cole’s jeans hit the floor, followed closely by his boxers. His sexy stare as he rolled a condom on made Emma’s insides liquefy with arousal.

  “God, I want you, Emma,” he said softly as he moved toward her. His lips traced up her calf, to her thigh, and when he grazed them lightly across her stomach, she didn’t think she could take any more. She writhed beneath him, desperate to satisfy the desire on his face.

  As soon as he entered her, their loud, mingled groans overtook the soft music that played, and Emma wrapped her body against Cole’s, the connection between them causing a heady sensation that overtook her arousal. She wasn’t thinking of her sister, or worrying about measuring up. Somehow she knew the intensity of the moment didn’t belong just to her, but to both of them.

  Cole closed his eyes as his hips thrust against hers deeply, and Emma felt a hot sensation building again.

  “Look at me,” she said, breathless. “Cole, I want to see you.”

  “I can’t, baby. If I look at you, I’m gonna--”

  “That’s what I want. Please.”

  The moment he opened his eyes, she saw the struggle on his face as he tried to hold on, and it sent her into a deep climax that made her grind herself against him for release.

  “Oh, God,” he said, his voice strained. “Fuck. Emma--”

  She pulled his body against hers as he cried out loudly, overwhelmed when his eyes stayed locked on hers as his body shuddered with satisfaction. Having him see her, really see her in this most intimate way, had been worth all the years of waiting.

  Chapter 12

  The Creighton Hospital conference room had an impressively long mahogany table and seating for nearly 40 people. Every time Cole met with his clients from Advocates for Hope, he was struck by its size. For a meeting between three people, it was overkill, but the space was being offered for free and it was convenient for his clients.

  “Hi, Melanie,” he said, reaching to shake hands with the Advocates for Hope director. She was a stout, no-nonsense woman with dark skin and short, practical braids. He’d grown fond of her in the short time he’d been doing pro bono work for the organization. Though it wasn’t affiliated with Creighton Hospital, Advocates for Hope worked on behalf of patients in the hospital’s mental health wing.

  “Cole, I can’t thank you enough for clearing up those issues with our non-profit status. That was a nightmare,” Melanie said, rubbing her temples.

  “No problem. I saw their unnecessary paperwork and raised it with a lot more of my own, so I think you’ll be okay.”

  “We’ve got something else--”

  Melanie was interrupted by the opening of the conference room door, and Cole was puzzled by Layla’s entrance. She wore a dark pencil skirt and blazer and had a leather messenger bag on her shoulder.

  “Cole, did you
hear I’m doing pro bono for this client now, too?” she asked, sliding into the seat next to him at the long table.

  “Um, no,” he said.

  “I’m Layla Carson,” she said, extending a hand to Melanie and then to John Courtney, the Advocates for Hope board chairman.

  “Great,” Melanie said, smiling. “We appreciate you helping us out, Layla. Do you know what we do?”

  “No, I’d love to hear about it,” Layla said.

  “We advocate for all issues relating to improving the quality of life for the mentally ill. But we have a small budget and only three staff people.”

  “I look forward to finding out how I can help with any legal issues,” Layla said with a smile. Her eyes met Cole’s and he exhaled deeply.

  Emma’s not going to like this, he thought. After not seeing Layla for a while, he’d started to hope she wasn’t interested in him anymore. But he was pretty sure she could care less about Advocates for Hope. The only thing about Layla that wasn’t archetype valley-girl in high school was her dark hair. She was all about herself. So she was probably at this meeting because of him.

  “Okay,” he said, clearing his throat. “Melanie, John, you said you’ve got some work for me.”

  “For us,” Layla corrected.

  “Right. For us,” he said.

  “We finally found a decent office space,” Melanie said, passing Cole a stack of papers. “But there are some things in the lease I don’t understand. Could you read through it and see if it looks okay?”

  “Sure,” Cole said, shifting in his seat as Layla’s leg rubbed against his. Her face was all innocence, reminding him there were two sides to this woman. She’d been the same way in high school – prim and proper by all outward appearances, but assertive behind closed doors.

  “Any word on the pending lawsuit?” John asked. He was a lean, older man with only a tiny amount of gray hair left on his head and glasses that sat down on his nose as he looked over them.

  “No, but these things take a lot of time to move through the system,” Cole said. “I’ve got a conference call on it later this month.”

  He shook his head almost imperceptibly when Layla’s foot found his leg again. Every time he moved away, her foot seemed to follow.

  “Okay, guys,” he said, packing his briefcase with paperwork. “I’m sorry, but I have to run for a meeting. Can we meet again in two weeks?”

  “Sure,” Melanie said, rising to leave.

  “Cole, can we get together, maybe tomorrow night …” Layla said, checking her schedule on her phone, “so you can bring me up to speed and we can go over that lawsuit?”

  “Uh, I’m not sure--”

  “Sorry, I’d do it during the day, but I’m booked,” she said, shooting an apologetic look at Melanie and John. “I don’t mind doing it in the evening if you don’t.”

  “No, it’s not that I mind …”

  “Great. Tomorrow night, or would another night be better?”

  Cole stared at her, wondering why a woman as attractive as Layla would chase after someone who wasn’t showing interest in her.

  “Tomorrow’s fine,” he said, closing his briefcase and turning to leave.

  “You’ve got my number,” she said.

  “Actually, I don’t.” Take a fucking hint, Layla, Cole thought.

  “Better give me yours, then,” she said. He sighed as he retrieved his business card and passed it to her.

  He stuck close to Melanie on the elevator ride down to the hospital’s main level, not wanting to get caught alone with Layla. As Melanie made small talk, his mind was elsewhere. How was he going to explain to Emma that he was meeting up with her sister tomorrow night? Things were finally going well for them.

  He tried to rationalize. Emma knew her sister. Maybe she would understand. But as he caught Layla watching him out of the corner of her eye, he had a bad feeling.

  *****

  She’d finally been able to line her schedule up with Dani’s for drinks, and Emma smiled as her friend approached her at the bar where she waited.

  “Hi,” Emma said, reaching around to hug Dani from atop the barstool. “Should we get a table?”

  “Yeah, I had a hell of a long day at school and I don’t want to fall off one of these stools from drinking too much,” Dani said, grinning. A server led them to a booth and Dani’s eyes sparkled as she looked across the table at Emma.

  “So how’s it going with Cole?” she asked, excited. “Have you slept with him?”

  “Yes.” Emma smiled, giddy with happiness.

  “And?! Do not hold back, Em, tell me!” Dani grinned.

  “Well, it’s only happened once, but it was … amazing. I’ve had good sex before, but this was different. It was beyond anything I’ve ever had with anyone else because I feel so much for Cole. Having him want me and touch me and … God, having him inside me … it was intense.”

  “You deserve this,” Dani said, covering Emma’s hand with her own. “I’m so excited for you. What about Layla? Does she know yet?”

  “Uh … no.”

  “Oh, shit.”

  “Yeah.” Emma sighed.

  The server approached the table and Emma glanced at her phone while Dani ordered and saw a waiting message from Cole.

  Can I stay over tonight? Have to meet with Layla at 7 but want to see you when I’m done.

  She stared at her sister’s name on the screen, hating that he had typed it.

  Layla? Why are you meeting with her?

  The warmth she’d been feeling cooled as she waited for his response, seeing Dani’s lips pursed with concern on the other side of the table.

  Long story. She volunteered to do pro bono work with me. We’re meeting at Porter’s if you want to meet me near there when I’m done.

  Emma glared at the phone and sat it on the table, too upset to write back.

  “You okay?” Dani asked. Emma shook her head and sighed.

  “Cole’s meeting with Layla tonight,” she said.

  “Layla? Why?”

  “She volunteered to do pro bono work for the same group Cole works for so she can get closer to him,” Emma said miserably.

  “Oh, hell no. You need to tell her to keep her hands off your man,” Dani said.

  “He’s not my man. Not officially or anything.”

  “But he wants to be, so what’s your problem, Emma? He’s crazy about you, you’re crazy about him … what more do you want? Tell the world, let Layla have her fit and then move on.”

  “Layla and I have just become friends in the last couple years,” Emma said. “You know how it was before that, Dani. I don’t want her mad at me. And things with Cole have been going on for a couple months now, so it’s not just me telling her I’m seeing him, but that I’ve been lying to her that whole time.”

  Dani shook her head with frustration.

  “You’re gonna let him slip away because you don’t want to piss off Layla,” she said. “Cole Marlowe. Have you forgotten us hiding under the bleachers at the stadium to watch him at football practice? That song we recorded and sang on my parents’ karaoke machine called Cole has Soul?”

  “We were just stupid kids then.”

  “No, Emma. You were crazy about him. And he’s a good guy. You’ve never thought you deserved to be first at anything. Ahead of Layla. I don’t get it.”

  “Well, it takes two to tango. If anything happens between Cole and my sister, it won’t just be because she wants it,” Emma said.

  “Are you nuts? He wants you to claim him, Emma. Men need that. Be proud he’s yours. If I was with Cole, I’d be wearing a t-shirt with his picture on it while tap dancing his name in Morse code.”

  “I don’t know. I don’t know what he wants us to be. Why ruin my relationship with Layla and destroy her trust in me just for something that might end in a month anyway?” Emma said.

  “With your attitude, it just might. Why don’t you ask him what he wants, and tell him what you want?”

  “I don�
�t even know what I want,” Emma said, shaking her head. “I had a crush on him growing up, but does that make us right for each other? I went to Paris to find myself, and I did, but now I’m back to feeling like a lovesick schoolgirl again.”

  “You’ve got it in you, Emma,” Dani said. “When you want him bad enough, and realize you deserve to be happy, you’ll do what you need to.”

  “Well, I just got a last-minute invite to show some work in San Diego,” Emma said. “I’m leaving Saturday to go to there for six days for some shows and meetings at a gallery. It’ll give me some time away to think.”

  “And you’re not worried about what Layla might do while you’re gone?”

  Emma shrugged silently. She knew what Layla was capable of. What worried her was what Cole might do.

  *****

  The raindrops sliding down the window pane in the fading evening light were a good match for Emma’s mood. She waited in a booth at a pub for Cole, wondering if he’d left Layla yet. It was impossible not to picture them sitting across from each other, her leg grazing his under the table. The thought of Layla being close enough to pick up the scent of his woodsy cologne made Emma drum her fingers on the table impatiently.

  When her phone vibrated, she swooped it up in an instant, knowing it had to be Cole.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, guess who I just had drinks with?” Layla said in a giddy tone. Emma rolled her eyes and forced herself to play along.

  “Um, Chad?”

  “No, Em, we don’t do anything but screw when we’re together.”

  “The guy from your gym? I don’t remember his name.”

  “No, eww. Cole, Emma – I had drinks with Cole,” Layla said.

  “Oh, that’s good,” Emma said, taking a long swig of wine.

  “Yeah. He’s playing it really cool, and I think I know why. I know an attorney who works at his firm and when I asked her about him, she said he has a girlfriend.”

  Emma wanted to breathe, but she couldn’t. The raindrops dripping down the window pane seemed to blend together and she thought she might need to sit down. Wait – she was already sitting down.