Beach Reads Boxed Set

by Marie Force

  “Unfortunately, the agoraphobia is only part of it. She also shops compulsively—online, home shopping networks, and over the phone. Our house is full of crap. There’s no other way to put it.” She glanced at him. “I can’t take you there. I just can’t.”

  “Then tomorrow take the car, go get what you need, and bring it back to the hotel. We’ll figure out the portfolio there.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Whatever you want is what I want.”

  “And you don’t care that I don’t want you to meet my parents—or, I should say, my mom? My dad is really great. He’d like you.”

  Cole brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed hers. “I’d love to meet him so I can tell him what a beautiful daughter he has.”

  “He tells me that all the time. To be honest, he’s the real reason I still live there—I could never leave him to deal with her by himself. He’s my first love.”

  “I thought I was,” Cole pouted.

  “You are,” she whispered. “You know you are.”

  He nuzzled her neck. “Can we go back to the hotel and make out for a while before we have to be at Jenny’s?”

  She checked her watch. “We might have time for a quick kiss or two.”

  He stood, tugged at her hand and bolted down the stairs, pulling her with him. “Taxi!”

  “Cole! Cabs are too expensive. We can take the Metro.”

  “That’ll take too much time we can spend on better things—much better things.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “What do you want me to wear to Jenny’s?”

  Olivia loved the way his soft chest hair felt against her face. “Jeans.”

  He brushed his fingers through her long hair. “I can do better.”

  “No need. They’re casual.”

  “What if she doesn’t like me?”

  “She’ll love you.”

  “We need to get going.”

  “I know,” she said but made no move to get up. “I wish we could stay in again tonight.”

  “You don’t want to go?”

  “I do.”

  “But?”

  “We’re running out of time.”

  “Baby, this is just the beginning. We’ll have more time soon. I promise.”

  “Weeks, probably.”

  “Two.”

  She lifted her head. “Really?”

  “In two weeks I have another weekend off. Do you think you could be packed and ready to go by Friday?”

  “Ready to go where?”

  “That’s for me to know and you to find out. Can you do it? With work and school?”

  “I can bank some extra hours at the store.”

  “Friday night to Tuesday night maybe?”

  “I’ll miss a class.”

  “Will that kill your grade?”

  “I have no idea. I’ve never missed one before.”

  “Never?”

  “Not one.”

  “Oh, my God! I’m in love with a geek!”

  She sighed. “Do you think you could say that again?”

  “What?” he teased. “That you’re a geek?”

  “No, the other thing.”

  “That I’m in love with you?” He leaned in to kiss her. “That part?”

  “Mmm.”

  “You like that, do you?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “So then you’ll run away with me in two weeks?”

  “Will you tell me where we’re going?”

  “Nope.”

  “Then I’ll have to think about it.”

  Astounded, he stared at her. “You will?”

  “No,” she said, laughing. “You’re so easy.”

  His eyes flashed as he wrestled her under him.

  “We don’t have time for this,” she reminded him, giggling nervously at the sinister look he attempted to pull off.

  “You’re lucky your cousin is expecting us.”

  “You don’t scare me. Now get off me so I can take a shower.”

  “Make me,” he said against her lips.

  She smoothed her fingers over his back in a gentle caress that turned him to putty under her hands. Then she sank her fingertips into his ribs and sent him launching off her. Taking advantage of his surprise, she flipped him onto his back and brought her lips down so they almost touched his, whispering, “Two older brothers. Don’t mess with me.”

  His eyes darkened with desire. “Very impressive,” he said, reaching for her. “And very sexy.”

  She dodged him and poked his ribs again. “Get up.”

  The first things Cole noticed when he stepped into Jenny and Will’s townhouse were the framed drawings over the mantel, one of the couple on their wedding day and another of their son, Billy, both obviously done by Olivia. While Olivia had dark hair and eyes, her cousin was blonde with green eyes. Yet there were similarities. Upon closer inspection, he decided they shared gestures and expressions more than physical characteristics.

  He enjoyed watching Olivia light up with delight when Jenny passed baby Billy to her. The blond baby was as happy to see Olivia as she was to see him. His pudgy fingers clutched a handful of her hair.

  Will intervened before the baby could hurt her. “Be nice,” he said to his son, who chortled in response.

  “What a cutie,” Cole said, reaching out to tickle the baby’s foot.

  “We’ve decided to keep him.” Jenny steered Olivia toward the kitchen. “Come help me get drinks.”

  After the women left the room, Will glanced at Cole. “So it wasn’t enough that you had to be a good-looking pilot,” he said with a teasing grin. “You had to have the whole ‘American Hero’ thing going for you, too, huh?”

  “It’s my burden in life.”

  “Sure it is,” Will said, laughing. “You’ve probably got a black book the size of the Bible.”

  “I recently burned it.” Cole gestured to the closed kitchen door. “Are they talking about me in there?”

  “What do you think?” Will replied dryly. He seemed pleased with Cole’s comment about his womanizing days being behind him. “Be glad they at least left the room. When they talk about me, they do it right in front of me.”

  Cole laughed. “I’m sensing it’s not easy being you around here.”

  “You don’t know the half of it. What’s not fair is I’m stuck out here with you, so I have to wait until later to hear what they said about you.”

  “Since we’re stuck together for who knows how long, let me ask you… Where should I take Olivia for dinner tomorrow night? Somewhere nice. Where would she want to go?”

  “That’s easy. She loves the Chart House in Old Town but doesn’t get to go very often.”

  “Good to know. Thanks.”

  “Did you sleep with him?”

  Still holding Billy, Olivia nibbled on a carrot she’d stolen from the cutting board. “We’re sharing a hotel room. Where do you think I slept?”

  Jenny sighed with exasperation. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

  Olivia laughed at her cousin’s irritation. “Yes, I slept with him.”

  “OhmygodohmygodohmyGOD! Finally! How was it? He’s so hot. Smoking hot.”

  “Is he? I hadn’t noticed.”

  “You’re being such a brat.” Hands on her hips, Jenny said, “We can do this the hard way or the easy way. What’s it going to be?”

  “Why go easy when hard is so much fun?”

  Billy picked that moment to unleash a deep belly laugh.

  “See, even your son thinks it’s fun.”

  Jenny tickled the baby’s pudgy belly. “Traitor.” She took him from Olivia and settled him in his high chair.

  He shrieked in protest until his mother gave him an animal cracker to gnaw on.

  “Come on, Liv. Spill it!”

  “It was… indescribable.”

  “Oh, my God!” Jenny squealed.

  “Pipe down, will ya?” Olivia hissed. “He’s going to hear you and know exactly
what I’m telling you.”

  Ignoring that, Jenny said, “So was it, you know, painful?”

  “Not at all like I expected it to be.”

  “Did you tell him? Before?”

  Olivia shook her head. “I wanted to. I really did, but there just wasn’t a good time to say, ‘By the way, Cole, I’m a twenty-seven-year-old virgin.’”

  Jenny snickered. “So did he figure it out?”

  “Um, yeah… you could say that.”

  “And?”

  “He was freaked out at first, but he was cool about it. He said he was honored.”

  “Which, of course, was the perfect thing to say.”

  “He seems to have a knack for saying the perfect thing at the perfect moment. I told him about Gary and Steve, so at least he understood why.”

  “Are you glad now you waited?”

  “So glad. It makes such a difference when you love the person you’re with.”

  Jenny let out another “Oh, my God!” but this time she made an effort to keep her voice down.

  “Remember how I agonized about sleeping with Gary and Steve?”

  Jenny rolled her eyes and poured them each a glass of wine. “Do I ever.”

  “With Cole there was no decision because it was just right. And now that I know what it’s like to really love someone, I can see I didn’t love them at all.”

  “How does he feel?”

  “He loves me, too,” Olivia whispered as if she were afraid he might hear her spilling their secrets.

  Jenny’s eyes went misty. “Oh, Liv, oh really?”

  Olivia nodded. “He’s a dream come true in every possible way.”

  Jenny launched herself at Olivia. “This is so fabulous! I told you he was it, didn’t I? You didn’t believe me, but I told you!”

  “Shh, will you? I don’t want him to hear us acting like fools in here.”

  “That’s what we do. He may as well get used to it if he’s going to be hanging out with us.”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  “What? What’s that face?”

  Olivia shrugged. “Everywhere we go…”

  “What?”

  “Women. They throw themselves at him, and if they have to push me out of the way to get to him, they don’t even care.”

  “I bet he cares.”

  “It infuriates him, but it terrifies me. He has so many opportunities…”

  “That doesn’t mean he’ll act on any of them.” Jenny took her by the chin. “You’re still thinking about how it’s going to end, aren’t you?”

  “Not really.”

  Jenny raised a skeptical eyebrow.

  “All right. Maybe.”

  “Why?”

  “I can’t help it,” Olivia said. “I love him so much, it’s scary.”

  “That’s how it’s supposed to be.”

  “But he lives in Chicago. He has a whole life there, and when will we see each other? I can’t bear the idea of him leaving the day after tomorrow. I can’t bear it,” she said, finishing on a whisper.

  Jenny ran her hands up and down Olivia’s arms. “If it’s meant to be, you’ll work it out. You need to relax about the details and just go with it.”

  “That’s what he says, too.”

  “He’s right.”

  Olivia nodded. “I know.”

  Will and Cole came into the kitchen.

  “We’re thirsty, and you’re taking too long,” Will announced as he got beers for himself and Cole, who had stopped short at the sight of Olivia obviously upset about something.

  He went over to her. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” she assured him with a smile, her heart flip-flopping at the sight of him. “Nothing at all.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She nodded and closed her eyes against the intense wave of emotion that struck when he kissed her cheek.

  He put his arm around her and drew her close to him.

  Olivia looked up to find Jenny gazing at them. “What?”

  “You two are so cute together.”

  “Jenny,” Will groaned. “Leave them alone, will you?”

  “What did I say? Just the truth.”

  Smiling, Cole looked down at Olivia.

  “What’s for dinner?” she asked, hoping to change the subject.

  On the way back to the hotel at midnight, they had the usually jammed corridor between Springfield and Alexandria all to themselves.

  Cole glanced over at her a couple of times, wondering why she was so quiet. “Jenny and Will are great. I really liked them.”

  “They liked you, too. Did you mind having to tell ‘the story’ again?”

  “Nah. It’s no biggie. Why so glum over there? Didn’t you have a good time?”

  “It was fun. I’m glad you got to meet them.”

  “You and Jenny are so funny,” he said with a grin. “You’re like a teenager around her.” But rather than being complimented by his remark, Olivia seemed embarrassed, which he hadn’t intended. He reached for her hand. “I meant that in a good way.”

  “I know.”

  “What’s wrong, Liv?”

  “Nothing,” she said quickly—a little too quickly.

  He let it go until they got back to the hotel. When they were in their room, Olivia went straight to the bathroom and closed the door. Perplexed by her sudden withdrawal, Cole opened the second bottle of wine from the night before and turned on some music.

  He unbuttoned his shirt and sat to wait. And worry. Something was up. Had she changed her mind about them? About him? The thought terrified him. She couldn’t. Not when he was taking this huge gamble with his heart.

  Cole had just enough time to work himself into a full-on panic attack before she opened the door and stepped into the room wearing a long, midnight-blue silk nightgown. The sight of dark silk over ivory skin sucked every thought right out of his head, leaving his mouth hanging open.

  She fiddled nervously with the fabric.

  He got up and went to her.

  Her big brown eyes, when they turned up to meet his, were shy and uncertain.

  His heart hammered.

  “I asked Jenny if she had something sexy she could loan me,” she said so softly he wouldn’t have heard her if he hadn’t been standing right in front of her.

  “You’re so beautiful, and I love this.” He smoothed his hands over her silk-clad back. “But you don’t need any help to be sexy.”

  “I wanted to be sexy for you.”

  He held her tight against him. “Were you nervous about putting this on? Is that why you were so quiet before?”

  “Not really.”

  “Then what’s wrong? I can tell it’s something.”

  She looked up at him, her smile shifting from shy to coy. “Do we really have to talk?”

  As all the blood drained from his head and made for points south, Cole tilted her face up. “Yes, we have to talk.”

  “I put this on for you…”

  “Olivia, honey, I love you, and as dazzled as I am by how you look right now, if you’re upset about something, I want to know what it is. I want to help.”

  “It’s just…”

  “What? Tell me.”

  “When I think about you leaving on Monday, I feel sick. Physically sick. I know we said we wouldn’t ruin the time we have with that, but it’s all I can think about.”

  He released a deep, pained sigh and wrapped his arms around her.

  “I want to enjoy this. I want to enjoy you, but all I can see are the roadblocks in our way. It just makes me wonder how this can ever work.”

  “Do you want it to work?”

  “You know I do.”

  “I do, too. So we’ll make it work. We’ll figure out a way.”

  “You make it sound so easy.”

  He guided her to the bed and stretched out so he faced her. “It won’t be easy. There’ll be times when being apart will totally suck.” Caressing her face, he added, “But the good times will be so good
we’ll forget all the bad times.”

  She captured his hand and pressed a kiss to the palm. “You’re very convincing.”

  “Then why do you still look so uncertain?”

  “I’m trying really hard to be optimistic, but this is all so new for me.” Her cheeks blazed with color. “Not just the sex part. All of it.”

  “I know, sweetheart.” He slipped an arm around her waist to draw her closer to him. “Believe it or not, it is for me, too. I certainly wasn’t expecting to find you and to feel the way I do about you.”

  She smiled at him, but she still looked uncertain.

  “What? You don’t believe me?”

  “I do.”

  “But?”

  “Half the women in this country would like to be where I am right now. How can I compete against that?”

  “You don’t have to, honey. You’re the only one I want, the only one I can think about.”

  With a sigh that sounded like relief, she reached up to brush the hair off his forehead.

  “Maybe we’re moving too fast—”

  “No,” she said, leaning in to kiss him. “No.”

  He held her tight against him and trembled with pleasure and contentment as her lips skimmed over his chest. Then her tongue circled his nipple and all thoughts of slowing things down deserted him. Somehow he ended up on his back trying to contain the urge to reclaim the upper hand.

  Since it seemed important to her just then to be in control of something, he stayed still so she could feather kisses over his chest. He stopped breathing altogether when she toyed with his nipples and handled the surge of desire by clutching the duvet. Taking a ragged deep breath, he forced himself to breathe when her hair grazed his stomach. Her lips soon followed.

  “Liv,” he gasped, reaching for her.

  “Let me love you, Cole.”

  His head fell back on the pillow, his eyes closed tight against the pain of desire.

  Her fingers trembled against his belly as she reached for the button to his jeans.

  Breathe.

  The zipper traveled slowly down, getting stuck on the hard ridge of his erection. For the first time in years, he hovered on the verge of an embarrassing accident. A groan escaped through his gritted teeth as she pushed his clothes out of the way.

  She stroked him—slowly at first, so slowly he could have died from wanting more.