“See you around, Makenzie.” I smile and nod.
For the next twenty minutes I jump rope, needing to work off some adrenaline. I need to be focused so that I don’t push Cole into something too early. He needs to progress into certain movements in order to heal properly and not strain himself further.
Five minutes before Cole is due to arrive, I’m checking the room for supplies and cooling aids. I was instructed to use a different room today, and I am pleased to find the facility fully stocked with everything I could possibly need and more. He needs to be using cold therapy and it’s here.
“Ready, friend?”
Cole’s choice of words isn’t lost on me. Asshole.
“I think we’ll start with the pool today.”
“Are you fucking serious? I hate swimming,” he whines, rather unmanly.
“I’m sorry to hear that, but swimming is happening.” My tone leaves no room for argument, yet Cole doesn’t get the memo.
“You know I hate swimming. You’re punishing me.”
“What on earth would I have to punish you for?” I chew on the inside of my cheek to refrain from laughing.
“I don’t know.” He motions between the two of us. “With you today it could be any number of things.”
I narrow my eyes.
“Is that so.” My tone is deadly, full of warning.
Cole gets it. His eyes widen. “Never mind. Let’s swim.”
I turn my back and smile at my victory.
That’ll teach him to goad me any further. Picking up my belongings, I follow Cole out of the room and into the indoor pool area. The smell of ammonia permeates the air. As I place everything I need on the floor, I glance over at Cole. He’s standing at the edge of the pool. His muscles flex as he removes his T-shirt, showing me a perfectly sculpted torso.
There is a fine misting of moisture on his tan chest. A desire to run my tongue down to the vee of his swim trunks is overwhelming. I shake my head. Get your head out of the gutter. Not going there again.
His eyes meet mine as I start to lift the hem of my tank. I can see his pupils dilate, but then he severs the connection and focuses on the water in front of him. Sleeping with Cole was a bad idea.
Fabulous.
Amazing.
Earth shattering.
Yep. All those things, only problem is now it’s all I can think about. Once I have removed all my outer clothes, I step into the warm water of the pool. It helps to wash away the tension that’s coiled in my shoulders.
“Where do you want to start?” Cole asks from beside me.
“We’ll start with a few exercises that will help rehabilitate your arm without causing you any pain, okay?”
“Sounds good. Just tell me where and how you want me,” he says with a smirk.
I ignore it. “Let’s start over here.” I gesture to the bottom step to the pool. “We’re doing this in the water because performing arm exercises here can improve your shoulders' range of motion.” I feel like I’m reciting a passage from one of my textbooks.
“Okay, I’m going to need you to sit on the step so that the water is just above your shoulder.”
I watch as he immerses himself just like I had said. I smile. The idea of me helping him makes me happy.
“Just like that. Okay, now raise your arms straight up. Yes, perfect. As high as you can. So now you are going to slowly lower your arms back into the water. That’s it. Just like that. Great job, Cole,” I exclaim, and he laughs. “What?”
“You’re just so cute, Makenzie, when you get excited about this stuff.” He grins at me.
“Why are you grinning like a fool?”
“I’m just proud of you,” he says as he lifts his arms up again and my heart melts into a puddle. “Fuck,” he shouts. His face turns ashen.
My stomach drops.
“What’s wrong?”
“Fuck, that hurt.”
I swim up to him and sit on the step behind him.
“Move your back closer to me.” He scoots back until his body is flush with mine between my legs. I start to massage the muscles. They are extremely tight and I move in closer, my breasts pressing against him as I place my arms over his shoulders to knead his deltoid muscles.
“Mmm,” he moans.
The sound sends an electric current to run down my whole body. Each synapsis inside me is awakened by our bodies’ proximity to each other. Fuck. This, being this close to him…this is not good. Not good at all.
With a sharp inhale of breath, I jump out from behind him and up the steps. Water splashes at my feet as I make my way out of the pool.
“I want you to jog in place for two minutes and follow it up with crunches, the bicycle, and knee twists. We need to get your whole body stronger.” I point to a sign that has explanations of each that’s posted to the wall. “After you’re done with that, you need cold compressions. Got it?” He nods so I take that as my cue that he’ll be fine. He doesn’t need me to do those things.
“Where you going?” he calls out from behind me. But I don’t bother to answer and I run as far as I can from Cole Callahan.
15
Cole
She did it again.
Every time we get close she runs. I know how much she wants this setup to be platonic, but the more time I spend with her, the harder it is to pretend I don’t feel something.
I feel too much.
Makenzie has my stomach in knots and my tongue tied. This shit doesn’t happen to me. Ever. I do as she instructed. Twenty minutes of pool exercises followed by forty-five minutes of cold compressions. I’m finally on my way out, ready to find Kenzie, when my phone rings. I cringe when I see Lana’s name. I contemplate sending her to voicemail, but she’ll just keep calling.
“Lana.” My voice is cold. I immediately regret being such a douche. She hasn’t done anything wrong.
“Nice to talk to you too, dick. I’ve been calling for a week. Where the hell have you been?” she shrieks.
“I’ve been dealing with rehab.”
“What for now?”
Her callous tone infuriates me. This right here is what she did wrong. She’s never given a fuck about me. It’s always been about what my career can do for her. I’m done. “We need to talk,” she purrs.
“There isn’t anything to talk about, Lana.” I shake my head. These are the games Lana is notorious for. “I made that clear.”
“So that’s it? After all these years, you’re throwing in the towel? After all the time I’ve invested in you?” She’s crying. Her words are sharp, but it’s only to mask the pain I can hear plain as day. I’ve hurt her.
“I’m sorry, Lana. You don’t deserve this, which is why I ended things. I’m not in love with you.” I say the words as gently as possible.
The line goes dead. She’s hung up on me. Typical Lana. She won’t listen to a thing I say if it’s not convenient for her. I’m better off just allowing time to pass and hoping she gets the fucking hint. We’re over.
Grabbing a towel, I wipe off the remaining water along with the stress that Lana causes. I pick up my bag and head to the car, stopping in my tracks when I see Tara the waitress leaning against it.
“Hey, stranger,” she coos.
“Tara. What are you doing here?” I quirk my brow, awaiting a lame excuse for her stalking.
“I wanted to see you. It’s been awhile and I keep going to your voicemail.”
“I’ve been busy.”
“Busy? Busy with what?”
I sigh. “Tara, I don’t have time today. I’m running late and I have a ton of stuff to do.”
“The team is on their way out of town and you aren’t going with them, so what do you have to do?” She cocks her head awaiting my reply.
“I’m seeing someone now.” It comes out fast and unauthentic.
“Right. You’re all seeing someone. Haven’t you realized I don’t care?” She strides toward me and I weave to avoid her.
“I like someone. She’s different and I don’t wa
nt to screw it up.” She purses her lips. Not buying it, I can tell. “I’ve known her forever and I can’t hurt her.” My eyes plead with her to just leave me alone. Fucking pussy.
“Wow. You’ve got it bad.” She smoothes her black mini skirt.
“I guess you could say that.” I shrug.
“If you get bored, you know where to find me.” With that she saunters off. My stomach turns a little that I had my dick in her. She’s a grade-A slut. It’s sad that a woman would demean herself like that.
Driving home, I contemplate what I told Tara. I do have it bad. No matter what Makenzie says, I am going to own her heart. If it takes me a decade, she will be mine.
I start formulating a plan. I’m going to do little things to show her how much I want to give this a go. The grocery store is the first stop. Running down a list in my head, I grab all the essentials for her favorite meal, lasagna.
I’m pleased to see Makenzie is nowhere to be found when I pull into my drive. It gives me plenty of time to put everything together. I get busy mixing my ingredients, setting out the new plates I bought as to not feed her on paper, and light a few candles. Heading to the radio I turn on some Adele because she sets the mood. Showered, shaved, and totally shaking from nerves, I wait for Makenzie to come home.
Thirty minutes goes by and then an hour then two. I’m wrecked. Johnny Walker is the only thing that can help at this point, so I grab the bottle and pour myself a tumbler. The food’s been sitting here for the past thirty minutes and is officially cold. I’m just about ready to start throwing dishes away when I hear the front door unlock.
“Wow, what smells so good?”
I relax at her comment.
“I made dinner. It’s cold. Want a glass of wine?” Her eyes go wide as she rounds the corner and sees the table set up.
“Cole…I…wow. It looks amazing.” She smiles. “Did you do this for me?”
“Of course.” I crack a grin, trying desperately to squelch my disappointment at the meal gone bad. “Well…I had to eat too, so I guess I did it for both of us.” She chuckles.
“Let me go change. I’m just coming from the library. I’ve been studying. You could throw the food back into the oven.” I nod and watch as she rushes off.
I put the lasagna back in the oven to rewarm it. Pouring a glass of wine for Makenzie, I reflect on this afternoon and her skittishness. I need to take this easy and not rush her into anything. Tonight we eat and maybe watch a movie, but I won’t bring up anything about us being more.
I’ve just talked myself into my plan when Makenzie walks around the corner. My breath stills in my chest.
She’s everything.
16
Makenzie
Holy hell. I can’t believe Cole did this for me. I will my breathing to calm, but who am I kidding? I’m having a panic attack. A full-blown one.
The whole time I was getting dressed I was like a girl on a date. Which is just crazy because it’s Cole. But lo and behold, here I am walking into dinner for two in his apartment and I have lip gloss on. This is my best friend. Why am I wearing lip gloss? But I know the answer, I’m just not willing to let my mind go there. Because you want him? Because you care for him?
With quick steps, I plaster a smile on my face and reach for the wine. I’m so nervous all of a sudden. Years of friendship and now I’m a nervous mess. I tip the glass back. The wine caresses my throat and instantly the alcohol starts to calm my frazzled nerves.
The air around us seems electrified. I wonder if he feels it. Silence spreads between us. It’s almost awkward. Which is even stranger, because in all the years we have been friends this has never happened to us before.
After another gulp, I lean in to spear a square of lasagna and break the silence.
“So how was work, dear?”
He lets out the breath he was holding. I smile.
“Same old, same old. I have this insane physical therapist who’s trying to kill me.” I let out a giggle. This is what I love about him: his playful banter and sense of humor.
“She sounds insane. You should probably fire her.” This makes Cole break out into a hearty laugh.
“Yeah, I think I will.” He reaches for his own slab and we both start to eat.
“Oh my God, Cole,” I exclaim after a bite. “Why didn’t you tell me you’re like a lasagna genius?”
“Have to keep some mystery between us.” A smile tips across his face into the cutest smirk.
“You were afraid I would never let you live it down and make you cook for me all the time, right?”
He nods.
“Exactly.”
“Smart move, Callahan.”
Throughout the rest of dinner, we continue to make small talk and drink wine. By the time we head into the living room, I’m sporting a healthy buzz. Okay, I’m a bit drunk. I see Cole rummaging under the TV cabinet for something. Then he straightens, holding a box.
I recognize it. “Trivia? You want to play ‘90s trivia?”
“Obviously.”
“You know that’s like my favorite thing in the world. I’m just shocked to see you have that game.”
“When you said you were coming, I bought it for you.” Butterflies take flight in my stomach at that. He bought it for me? Wow. “More wine?” he asks, holding the bottle. I just nod. God, do I need more wine right now…or I might start kissing him for being so damn sweet.
After about fifteen minutes of playing, I’m winning by a small lead. Cole grins at me as he reads the next question.
“What was the name of the sheep that was the first successfully cloned animal in 1996?”
“What the fuck kind of question is that?” I fall onto the couch, laughing. I have no clue what the answer is, but it’s the dumbest question I have ever heard in my inebriation. A vision of a cartoon sheep dances through my head and I break out into another round of drunken giggles.
When I finally stop, I look up to find Cole standing at the edge of the couch. The look in his eyes makes me feel hungry, but not for food. I’m hungry for Cole’s touch, for Cole’s mouth. His pupils are dilated, and I can tell he feels the same way. He moves in slowly.
Stalking.
“What are you doing?” I ask as he grabs my legs and spreads my thighs.
He doesn’t answer. Just runs his hand up my bare legs to my pajama shorts. A finger slips underneath and he starts to trace circles.
“I just need to touch you,” he groans out and I don’t move and I don’t respond. Too drunk off his hands to form words. His hands lift and travel and next thing I know my shorts and thong are removed. I can feel the cool blast of the air hitting my body and I quiver with need.
Cole’s hands separate me wider, opening me to him. “Just need to taste you,” he mutters into my skin. His breath tickles my sensitive flesh and then I can feel Cole’s tongue lick across the seam of my pussy.
“Please,” I plead. I don’t know what I’m pleading for but as he laps at my skin I let out a moan.
“Shh, I got you.” His words tickle my clit and I lift my hips up to get more contact. “God. Makenzie, you taste fucking amazing.” He continues to lick and suck, to plunder me with his tongue. When I think I can’t take anymore, he lets his fingers join in.
One slips in.
Then a second.
I rock my pelvis up. I feel so full, but it’s not nearly enough. I want him… All of him.
“Need you inside,” I groan. “Need more.” His mouth sucks down harder and a third finger slips in, pressing upward until it hits the perfect sweet spot inside me. “Oh fuck!” I scream, shouting my release as my inside walls pulse around his digits. “Fuck!”
When I open my eyes, I see Cole staring down at me, a peculiar look in his eyes.
“That was the hottest thing I have ever seen. No one could be more beautiful when they come.”
My eyes flutter shut and inside I melt again. I have it bad for my best friend. I have it bad for Cole Callahan.
17
<
br /> Cole
Pulling down my pants, I wrap my cock in my hand. Stroking it up and down, I stare at her dripping wet pussy. With a long stroke, I get myself nice and primed. I can’t wait to feel her all around me. It might have only been that one time but I swear my cock is jonesing for Makenzie’s cunt. I can still taste her orgasm on my tongue and the thought alone makes my dick rock hard. When I was fucking her with my fingers, I imagined it was my cock and I swear I almost came without being inside…in my pants, like a teenage boy. She was so wet. Shit. I seriously might come.
Spreading her legs further apart, I angle the head of my cock against her heat. Her juices coat the dip and I want to plunge inside, but I decide to wait, torturing us both instead.
“Tell me you want my cock inside,” I groan out as I swirl the tip and collect the wetness. “Tell me to fuck you.” She lets out a ragged gasp. With each swipe against her, she tries to angle up and take my length, but I don’t breach, just continue making her desperate with need.
Leaning forward, I press my lips to the skin on her neck, trailing a line of kisses, nipping at her skin. That elicits another mewling sound. This time she tries harder to buck down on my hard cock and force me in.
“No, Makenzie. Not until you tell me how bad you want me,” I say against her skin as I continue to lick and suck her tender flesh.
“Goddamn it, Cole.”
“Tell me. Beg.” I’m a dick, but fuck, if the idea of her begging for my cock doesn’t turn me the fuck on.
“Fuck me. Please fuck me,” she finally begs and I finally answer.
I slam inside, seating myself deep in her core. Holy shit. Like fucking heaven. Her walls contract instantly, tightening around me like a glove.
Pushing her legs further apart, I pick up the pace. Impaling her over and over again with my cock. After a few more thrusts, I pull out, flip her body over and slam back in from behind. My hand then reaches around to begin circling her swollen clit.
Her body tightens like a vise and I know she’s close to coming. It makes my balls tighten and I know I’m close as well.
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