conjured up in my mind—working with his hands, sweating, hammering, nailing... Omigod. I haven’t even seen him with his shirt off yet and I can already feel the space between my legs tense in anticipation. Then, after a brief cool down and a much needed conversation in the sheets aisle, things began progressing exactly the way I hoped. If only I hadn't slammed into that damn horn, I'm pretty sure I could have had Cole right on the bench seat of that old Ford. More like he could have had me, with his hands and that talented mouth.
I pick up the cell phone only to see another redundant text message from Wesley: I'm over this shit, Whitney. You belong with me. I do what I did the last twenty times he text me—closed the screen and go about my new life as if he doesn't exist. If only I could evoke reality from my imagination.
I don’t wait for Cole to text me. Instead, I grab a six-pack out of the fridge and head over to his place after dinner. I know he isn’t ready for me to see the house yet, but if he's been working up a sweat all day, I hope he’ll at least join me for a drink to end the night. And if he is all sweaty, then I don’t want to miss that.
As I pull in front of the house and climb out of the vehicle, beer in hand, I find Cole and Zeke sitting on the tailgate of the Cole's truck.
“ Is this why you didn't want to bring me home with you? You've been shacking up with Zeke?” I tease as I approach them. Zeke throws his arms around Cole's neck and nuzzles his head against Cole's.
“ Honey, she caught us!” he laughs.
“ Get off me, you jackass.” Cole shrugs Zeke off with a smile and stands to greet me. “What are you doing here, Whitney?” he questions as he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me in close to him. I inhale, taking the scent of him—cinnamon mixed with crisp, clean air—in as deep as I can before my lungs force me to exhale.
“ I'm not trying to force my way into the house if that's what you’re thinking.” I lean back to get a good look at him. Piercings in, hat back on, and ripped denim hugging his thighs just right. All is right in the world. “I thought maybe you could use a drink after working all day.” I hold up the six-pack in my hand. “Out here of course.”
He grins and leans in to press his lips to the tip of my nose. “Sounds perfect.”
“Yes!” Zeke jumps off the bed of the truck and reaches for a beer. I watch Cole's eyes settle on his friend, silently telling him to kick rocks. Zeke quickly retracts his hand, taking Cole's cue, and laughs. “I mean, I'll see you two later.” He is heading toward his truck as he calls out over his shoulder, “Have a good night!”
We witness Zeke drive away as we stand wrapped up in each other in the drive. As his taillights fade out of sight, Cole removes his arms from my waist and takes my hand in his.
“Come on.” He tugs me behind him. “Let's go out back.”
Chapter 14 – Cole
I lead Whitney around the house to a secluded picnic table that overlooks the river's edge. It is the one place at this dump that doesn’t need any work. Hank manages to keep the yard mowed, and the tree-lined river will provide a peaceful backdrop for the evening. I take a seat on top of the table, propping my feet up on the bench, and pull Whitney beside me.
I should have known she'd show up. She's been pretty take-charge in the short time we've not been friends. She kissed me first, and then she threw herself in my lap in the truck last night. I didn't mind letting her dictate the way things have played out so far, but tonight is going to be different. Not to mention the fact that when she climbed out of that Jeep and came bouncing across the driveway toward me, wearing those sexy cut-off jean shorts I love, the same form-fitting t-shirt she was wearing the morning I first saw her, and a pair of work boots with her hair pulled up in a
I pick up the cell phone only to see another redundant text message from Wesley: I'm over this shit, Whitney. You belong with me. I do what I did the last twenty times he text me—closed the screen and go about my new life as if he doesn't exist. If only I could evoke reality from my imagination.
I don’t wait for Cole to text me. Instead, I grab a six-pack out of the fridge and head over to his place after dinner. I know he isn’t ready for me to see the house yet, but if he's been working up a sweat all day, I hope he’ll at least join me for a drink to end the night. And if he is all sweaty, then I don’t want to miss that.
As I pull in front of the house and climb out of the vehicle, beer in hand, I find Cole and Zeke sitting on the tailgate of the Cole's truck.
“ Is this why you didn't want to bring me home with you? You've been shacking up with Zeke?” I tease as I approach them. Zeke throws his arms around Cole's neck and nuzzles his head against Cole's.
“ Honey, she caught us!” he laughs.
“ Get off me, you jackass.” Cole shrugs Zeke off with a smile and stands to greet me. “What are you doing here, Whitney?” he questions as he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me in close to him. I inhale, taking the scent of him—cinnamon mixed with crisp, clean air—in as deep as I can before my lungs force me to exhale.
“ I'm not trying to force my way into the house if that's what you’re thinking.” I lean back to get a good look at him. Piercings in, hat back on, and ripped denim hugging his thighs just right. All is right in the world. “I thought maybe you could use a drink after working all day.” I hold up the six-pack in my hand. “Out here of course.”
He grins and leans in to press his lips to the tip of my nose. “Sounds perfect.”
“Yes!” Zeke jumps off the bed of the truck and reaches for a beer. I watch Cole's eyes settle on his friend, silently telling him to kick rocks. Zeke quickly retracts his hand, taking Cole's cue, and laughs. “I mean, I'll see you two later.” He is heading toward his truck as he calls out over his shoulder, “Have a good night!”
We witness Zeke drive away as we stand wrapped up in each other in the drive. As his taillights fade out of sight, Cole removes his arms from my waist and takes my hand in his.
“Come on.” He tugs me behind him. “Let's go out back.”
Chapter 14 – Cole
I lead Whitney around the house to a secluded picnic table that overlooks the river's edge. It is the one place at this dump that doesn’t need any work. Hank manages to keep the yard mowed, and the tree-lined river will provide a peaceful backdrop for the evening. I take a seat on top of the table, propping my feet up on the bench, and pull Whitney beside me.
I should have known she'd show up. She's been pretty take-charge in the short time we've not been friends. She kissed me first, and then she threw herself in my lap in the truck last night. I didn't mind letting her dictate the way things have played out so far, but tonight is going to be different. Not to mention the fact that when she climbed out of that Jeep and came bouncing across the driveway toward me, wearing those sexy cut-off jean shorts I love, the same form-fitting t-shirt she was wearing the morning I first saw her, and a pair of work boots with her hair pulled up in a
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