Cole (7 page)

Chapter 13

Kensington

Cole smoothed his slightly callused hands up along my thighs to my panties. There was still a slight hesitancy in his moves, and I thought it was cute as hell. Something told me, it wasn’t in his nature to be hesitant when it came to seducing women. I devised a quick plan of encouragement. Something that was totally not in
my nature
, but everything about Cole seemed different. I was willing to take a chance and toss my heart out there. The worst that could happen would be my heart would get broken. Then I’d pick up the pieces and move on with the notion that real love would forever elude me.

I pulled my mouth from his. Immediately he dropped his hands and worry crossed his face. “Moving too fast?”

I shrugged shyly. “Maybe you could get my wineglass from outside. You know, to help loosen me up.” I nearly laughed at the words. Any looser and I’d be a puddle at his feet.

His shoulders seemed to shrink in disappointment as he walked back out to the yard. I had to move quickly before I chickened out. I whipped my dress up and over my head. I dropped it on the sofa and standing in just my bra and panties, waited for him to return. It took him longer than I’d expected, and suddenly, I wondered if this whole plan was just going to end in major embarrassment. I was seconds from reaching for the dress when he stepped back inside with the wineglass and blanket. His expression assured me taking it off had been a good option.

A frisson of nerves went through me, but I took a long, steadying breath and held out my arms. “Just so you know, I don’t normally do this kind of thing.” I waved my hand in front of my scantily clad body. “This, I mean. Especially not on a first date.”

“Damn, just when I thought this night couldn’t get any better.” He crossed the room in three steps. His arms went around me. He lifted my hair from my neck and trailed kisses along my shoulder and over the swell of my breasts. His fingers dragged the straps of my bra down my shoulders. I held his head against me as his tongue licked and teased my nipple. Moisture soaked my pussy as his hands pushed below my panties and smoothed over my bottom.

He grunted and pulled his mouth from my breast. “Damn, Kensie, I can’t slow down. I knew I wanted this. I knew I wanted you badly, but I was holding back.”

I unfastened my bra. “I could tell. Thought you just needed a little encouragement.”

I could see his throat move with a hard swallow as he watched the bra fall away from my breasts.

“What a night.” He swept me up into his arms and carried me down the hallway to a bedroom. I pushed the door open with my foot, and he carried me inside. There was a slight dusty smell inside the room as if it had been closed up for some time. The walls were whitewashed to go with the nautical theme, which included an oil painting of a ship over the bed.  A polished telescope stood in front of a large window that overlooked the beach. In the opposite corner, in complete contrast to the coastal decor, sat a shiny black drum set surrounded by a wall covered in framed, handwritten music sheets.

With me still wrapped around him, Cole leaned down and yanked the sea shell print bedspread back with one hand. He kissed me once more before lowering me down on the center of the mattress. As he was carrying me down the hall, I’d had about two seconds of mind debate that I was jumping into this too fast. But my ‘you only live once’ side had won out. Staring up at the incredible man towering over the bed and the look of heated desire in his hazel eyes, I knew I’d let the right side win. I could live with regrets later, but for now, I just wanted to be in Cole’s arms. 

Cole yanked off his shirt. A myriad of tattoos crossed his muscular chest and arms. Looking at him sent a rush of heat through me.

“Hmm,” I said in a light tone, but inside, a flutter of urges were overwhelming me. “Not bad.” I was dying to smooth my hands over his naked skin.

“Not bad. Guess I’ll have to live with that. Maybe I can excel in other ways.”

I sat up on my knees and reached for the button on his pants. “You know, of course, that I’m teasing you.”

I unzipped his pants as I pressed my mouth against the muscular ridges of his stomach. His fingers tangled in my hair as he held my face against him. I trailed kisses down his flat stomach as I pushed his jeans down around his thighs. His cock pushed free, thick and glistening with moisture.

I wrapped my fingers around him and peered up at him. Cole gazed down at me from beneath heavy lids. He reached up and ran his thumb across my bottom lip and pushed his finger inside my mouth, coaxing me to taste him.

I held him firmly in my grasp as I pushed the slick, fleshy tip against my lips. My tongue swirled through the salty moisture. He groaned as I took him deeper into my mouth.

“No,” he groaned.

I lifted my mouth away and peered up at him.

“Your mouth feels too good.” He pushed his pants to the floor, making sure to grab a condom from his pocket. I scooted into the center of the bed and leaned back against the pillows. Cole knelt next to me, watching me with a hunger that made my pussy ache with wanting him. He slid my panties down and off my ankles. Then he knelt between my legs, pushing my thighs wider with his hands. His gaze lingered on my pussy before lifting his eyes to my face.

His expression was silently asking me if I was sure about this. “Cole, I want this.”  A nervous laugh crumbled from my lips. “Heck, I don’t know if I’ve ever wanted it this badly. So—” I pointed up at him. “No pressure, but don’t disappoint me.”

A crooked smile tilted his mouth as he leaned down over me. “You’re lucky that I work well under pressure.” He pressed his hand against my face, and the tender gesture only increased my need for him to be inside of me.

I spread my legs wider. He kissed me deeply as he reached down and slid his thick callused fingers through the slick folds of my pussy.

“God, baby”—His voice was deep and gritty—“you feel like hot, wet silk. I knew you’d feel like this, like fucking heaven.” As he slid his fingers inside of me I rocked against the pressure of his hand, rubbing my taut clit against it with each movement.

I clutched at his arms realizing that I’d been so ready, I was on the teetering edge of an orgasm with just his fingers inside of me. He sensed how close I was too.

“That’s it, sweetie, I want to feel your pussy tighten around my hand.” He moved his fingers deeper, making sure to keep contact with my clit. I tightened my bottom and pushed my hips higher to take in more of his hand. He lifted his head and stared down at me, waiting for me to roll off the cliff into ecstasy.

“Oh, Cole,” I cried out. My thighs tightened around his hand as my pussy dissolved into shuddering waves of pleasure.

My body still trembled as he slid his hand beneath my ass, lifting my pussy higher. He leaned down and kissed me as he slid his cock inside of me. He moved deep and forward hitting a remote spot inside of me that made my pussy once against explode with a second orgasm. I clutched his strong arms as he thrust inside of me. All the while, my entire body trembled.

I wrapped my legs around him, and he drove hard against me, my pussy tender and aching from multiple orgasms. I shuddered with the urgent, intense feel of him filling me hard and fast.

His muscular body tightened, and his head dropped back with a low groan as he came. He lowered himself down next to me and pulled me against him. We sat in silence as our ragged breathing slowed to normal. I pressed my face against his chest, already growing fond of his soapy scent.

“So? Any disappointment?” he asked cockily, knowing damn well that he’d brought me to orgasm twice.

I sighed. “Well, I’m used to three or four, but two in a row will do.”

A deep chuckle rolled up from his throat. “Three or four? Hell, I’m going to have to hone my skills then.” He reached down and tilted up my chin to face him. “In case it isn’t obvious, Kensington, I’m having a really great time.”

I lifted my mouth to his and kissed him. “Me too.” I had every intention of keeping my head about me with this new relationship, but Cole King was going to make that difficult.

Chapter 14

Cole

Denver put a hand on my shoulder. “Remember, keep your momentum going at the same speed as the bike but if somehow it gets away from you, try not to land on it. Or worse, let
it
land on you.”

“Really? That’s your pro advice?” I shot him an annoyed look. “Shit, you’re as fucking helpful as an umbrella in a windstorm. And this little fatherly talk is only going to shred my confidence and enthusiasm, so go sit on the wall and watch.”

I’d mastered a few of the easier, less dramatic freestyle tricks, including the Superman, a trick that Denver could probably do in his sleep, but then I hadn’t been at it long. Once Denver and Rodeo had talked me into putting up a metal jump ramp and foam pit for their practice sessions, I couldn’t resist shooting my bike off the lip and trying some of the tricks. Denver had helped me modify a race bike for jumping. Recently, I’d moved on from the security of the foam pit to landing on a resi mat. But after a few falls on the mat, I’d come to the painful conclusion that gel material might work in shoes, but it doesn’t absorb the impact of a fall from the sky. Today, I was practicing a trick that, so far, I’d had luck with, some bad, some good. Letting go of the handlebars for a seat grab to extend my superman kick was like losing the training wheels off your first bike. It meant temporarily letting go of the bike and relying on the science of physics to keep both man and machine synchronized. And, I was never big on science. In fact, I vaguely remembered failing physics altogether.

I pulled on my helmet and goggles and kick-started the bike. My mind had been all over the place this week because of Kensington. It seemed, when I’d least expected it, I’d met a girl who I thought about morning, noon and night. Denver knew about my dates with Kensington, but I hadn’t said anything to Rodeo yet. He’d been walking around smiling and dreaming about the Corvette, which I planned to just give him. Rodeo could be a pain in the ass, but he’d been a loyal friend. I didn’t have the extra cash or time to do anything with the car. And the bet was the farthest thing from my mind now.

The bike vibrated beneath me as I twisted the throttle and placed my boots on the pegs. I rode in the opposite direction of the ramp. I needed enough momentum for the jump and enough time to psych myself up for it. I found, in jumping, that if I thought too long about it, the trick ended badly. On the other hand, if I didn’t spend enough time thinking about it, I ended up bailing before I could finish the trick. It had to be just the right amount of speed and thinking time to make it a success. The foam pit had been great at boosting confidence, but there were a lot of things that could turn ugly with only a soft mat on the other end.

From the corner of my goggles I saw Rodeo and Denver sitting on the wall, waiting to tell me everything I did wrong or pick up the pieces if things went really wrong. The metal ramp clanked as my front wheel hit it. I shot up and off the lip. I took my feet off the pegs as the bike arced high in the air. That crazy sensation of flying whipped through my gut, and I took my right hand off the handlebars and reached beneath my body for the seat. My left hand followed. I held the seat for just a brief flash of time as I felt the bike head back down toward earth. I pulled my body forward through the air and grabbed the handlebars a few seconds before my bike tires hit the dirt landing. I’d landed upright on the bike but had gotten there a little late. The handlebars wobbled, and I lost control. I turned sharply off the mat and laid the bike down. All in all, a good ride, and I’d only added a few scrapes and bruises to my body and the motorcycle.

Denver walked over and picked up the bike while I dusted myself off. I dropped my goggles around my neck. He had to talk loudly for me to hear through the helmet. “Form was good. Now work on more air and smoother transition back to the handlebars. Not enough space between you and the ground before you got your ass back on the seat.”

I nodded and took the bike from him. I rode back to the start and circled around. It was nearly dusk, and the late day sun glinted off the metal ramp. After a long work week, my body was suffering what I liked to call the Thursday night energy drain. Neither circumstance was good for practicing my jump, but I was determined to stick the landing once before calling it a night.

I grabbed the throttle and headed toward the narrow ramp. My feet left the pegs earlier this time, giving me enough time to release my grip and grab the seat. I pulled my body forward again, and my feet braced against the pegs. My back tire hit the landing, and with a jarring thud, the front tire hit the dirt. I rode to the end and circled back holding my fist in the air. I’d landed it.

Rodeo and Denver hopped off the wall and walked over to greet me as I shut down the motor and pulled off my goggles and helmet.

“Duude,” Rodeo crowed, “that was sick. Almost couldn’t have done better myself.”

Denver hadn’t said anything yet. I knew him well enough to know he was going through the entire jump in replay in his head where he would analyze it and then tell me what was wrong.

I stared at him. “Well, Dr. Denver from Boston, what’s the diagnosis?”

“Nailed it.” He lifted his fist.

Rodeo rolled his eyes at Denver before turning back to me. “See, bro, even though it looks certain you’re going to lose that bet over the wine heiress, at least you have this little win to finish the week.”

“Yep, at least I have this.”

Chapter 15

Kensington

I was mucking the last stall when Trish came around the corner and popped her head inside. “Now that the kids are gone, dish. I want to hear about this new guy because you’ve been all aglow and atwitter all week.”

“Aglow and atwitter? You and my dad need to write a book on corny, outdated sayings together. But I guess those two words pretty well sum up the way I’m feeling.” I turned the mucking fork over into the wheelbarrow and pushed past the pony.

Trish stepped out of the stall door opening to let me pass.

“Did you want me to blanket tonight? It’s getting sort of chilly when the sun drops.” I smiled. “People on the east coast under five feet of snow in fall would have a good laugh over that statement, wouldn’t they?”

“Kensie, you’re avoiding the topic.” Trish had tied her hair up in a loose bun. Her spray of nose freckles stood out in sharp contrast to pink skin. A lifetime outside with horses had aged her skin prematurely even with a constant slathering of sun block. “I’ve known you for a long time, and I’ve seen you go through a plethora of boyfriends—”

I laughed as I picked up the handles of the wheelbarrow. “A plethora of boyfriends? Is that like a gaggle of geese? When you say it like that, you make me sound like some interminable flirt who jumps from guy to guy without direction or purpose.” I lowered the wheelbarrow to the ground and looked at her. “Oh my gosh, is that me? Am I
that
girl?”

“No, you’re not. You’re just picky. And you should be. But this time I’m seeing a little twinkle in those green eyes, and I don’t usually see it.”

“So far, so good, Trish. I’m almost afraid to even say that out loud in case I jinx something.” I sighed. “Maybe I’m just so darn programmed to expect disappointment that it always happens. You know, like a self-fulfilling prophecy? This time it would be an especially disappointing disappointment if there was such a thing. I like Cole . . . a lot. He checks a lot of my boxes, including the main one—he’s fun to be around.” I walked the wheelbarrow outside and Trish followed to help dump it onto the massive manure pile behind the barn. We returned to the stables.

“The first thing you have to do is stop worrying and just have a good time. If it’s meant to be—”

“Now you sound like my mom. She enjoys being flippant about my relationships, about everything for that matter. With the exception of the really shallow aspects of her life like which hair color to choose and which purse goes with which outfit.”

Trish and I walked back to the office to make the next week’s schedule. “I don’t mean to be flippant. I just know that you always have your head on straight, and if this doesn’t turn out to be what you thought, you’ll come out the other side with it on even straighter.”

“I guess. Although, I will admit that my head hasn’t been on too terribly straight since I met Cole. Maybe that’s what has me so uneasy. Even my work is suffering some, and you know how I hate that.”

Trish stepped into the office slash empty stall. About the only part of the small, crude space that said
office
was the second-hand desk, a stapler and a whiteboard for scheduling. Trish sat on the stool she’d created out of an old sawhorse.

I stepped up to the whiteboard to write the schedule. My phone was sitting on Trish’s desk. It rang and she glanced up at me. “Could it be?”

I picked it up. It was Cole. Trish’s enthusiastic grin melted when I walked out of the office to take the call.

“Hello.”

“I have to house sit this weekend. Please tell me you can join me, otherwise I’m going to be extremely lonely. By the way, this is Cole, in case you didn’t know. And hello. Forgot the greeting. So, what do you say?”

“You’re house sitting? What the heck will the house do if no one is watching it?”

“Well, to be more specific, I’ll be pig sitting. The house is wrapped around the pig. I just thought house sitting sounded more dignified and more fun. It’s at my dad’s place.”

“See, then you’re about to learn something new about me. Pig sitting sounds way more appealing. I would love to pig sit. And we can watch the house too, if necessary.”

“Cool. How’s your day going?” One thing I’d noticed about Cole was he was always in a good mood. It was something I admired and a trait that I rarely found in anyone.

“My day’s been great. There was an incident with my coffee cup falling on my mom’s new ivory colored rug, and I thought she might ship me off for good. But I’m happy to say she’s keeping me after all. How’s your day been?”

“I nailed the landing on a trick, and I still have all my bones intact. So, it’s been a good day. I’ll pick you up tomorrow after work. Bring a bathing suit. Wait. Why the hell would I suggest that? We’ll be completely alone—except for Some Pig. But he won’t tell if we skinny dip in the pool.”

“I’ll bring a suit,” I said. “Are there any special snacks I could bring for Some Pig?”

“His favorite food is nachos, but he’ll eat most anything with the exception of bacon. For obvious reasons. Hey, Kensie, I’m glad you’re going with me.”

“Yeah, me too. See you tomorrow. Bye.”

I hung up and couldn’t suppress a smile as I walked back into the office. Trish glanced up from her paperwork with an expectant look. “Well?”

“I’m pig sitting with him this weekend.”

Her squeal of excitement was cut short. “Did you say pig sitting?”

“His sister Finley has a pet pig. I’ll be spending the weekend with Cole at his dad’s place.”

“Shut up, you lucky bum. You’ll be sitting on a couch that has Nicky King’s butt cheek print on the cushions.”

“Hmm, hadn’t really considered that prospect, but yes, I suppose my bottom will be where Nicky King’s butt cheeks have sat.” I took a deep breath and looked down to check my feet. “Yep, they’re still on the ground. Just not sure for how long.”