urge to tell him how much she was coming to care for him. He suddenly flipped over onto his back and pulled her with him, keeping her close against his body.
They lay there in silence, each trying to get their heart rates to even out. Katherine snuggled against his warm, solid frame with her head on his chest, listening to the strong, steady beat of his heart…and she found comfort there. This man was different from anyone she had ever known before. He was kind, and tender; yet was forceful. The realization that she trusted him with her entire being hit her hard. She didn’t do trust. Trust for her walked hand in hand with… She stopped the thought short, refusing to even think about going there. No! She didn’t care…she didn’t love. It caused way too much pain and loss. She had become so very adept at closing herself off; so-why was it then that this amazing man seemed to be changing all of that?
“Cole,” she spoke softly, her voice husky and sated. He could still detect that hint of fear in her tone. That hesitation.
“Yeah, Baby?”
Katherine smiled slightly against his chest, the endearment causing her heart to do that strange little flip against her ribs.
“When did you want to leave?” she asked, her belly fluttering. It had been close to six years. What would Stewart say to her? Would he hate her? Despise her for ruining his life, simply because they had been friends? Of course he would! Why wouldn’t he? He had every right to. It was all her fault that he was rotting away in prison for something that he didn’t do.
***
Cole rested his chin on her head, breathing in that scent that was all Katherine–soft, flowery… freaking amazing. It emanated from her life a sweet summer breeze and he didn’t think he had ever experienced anything like it before.
“I’ll have to make a few calls, but I’d like to leave as soon as possible.”
She nodded against his chest, her hand toying with the sprinkling of hair that covered it. “I have to make arrangements with Jeff to take care of the store if he can.”
“Jeff?” Cole asked, lifting his head and looking down at her. “Who’s Jeff?”
Katherine looked up and caught his gaze, wondering if that tiny bit of heat she saw was jealousy. She dismissed it as just wishful thinking and gave him a gentle smile. “He’s the manager at the store,” she explained softly and saw him visibly relax.
“I’ll need all the information you have on him as well,” Cole murmured, pulling the covers over their cooling bodies.
“Jeff?” She questioned, her eyebrows rising. “Jeff’s wonderful. He’s been with me since I opened the shop almost two years ago.”
“Still,” he replied, pulling her up so that her mouth was hovering over his. He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth as his hands slid down her body to the curve of her backside. She could feel him hardening against her stomach and wriggled; eliciting a deep, sexy as all hell, moan from him. “I’m checking out everyone that is in your life, Katherine. Christ, I’d check out my own mother if it would keep you safe,” he said finally, right before his mouth took hers.
***
Cole was on the phone as Katherine walked out of the bathroom the following morning, her hair damp from her shower. She could hear him making arrangements for them to leave first thing in the morning and her stomach tightened painfully. She was finally going to face Stewart. Face the anger that she knew had to be there. Face a part of her past that had haunted her for years.
She fought to control her nerves as she grabbed her cell phone and called the shop, seeing with a sinking feeling of guilt the four missed calls from Jeff.
“Katherine! Where on earth have you been?” he asked in a rush when he answered his phone. “I have been trying to get a hold of you. I was damn near calling the cops!”
“I know, Jeff…and I’m sorry,” She glanced over to where Cole sat and noticed him watching her as he barked
They lay there in silence, each trying to get their heart rates to even out. Katherine snuggled against his warm, solid frame with her head on his chest, listening to the strong, steady beat of his heart…and she found comfort there. This man was different from anyone she had ever known before. He was kind, and tender; yet was forceful. The realization that she trusted him with her entire being hit her hard. She didn’t do trust. Trust for her walked hand in hand with… She stopped the thought short, refusing to even think about going there. No! She didn’t care…she didn’t love. It caused way too much pain and loss. She had become so very adept at closing herself off; so-why was it then that this amazing man seemed to be changing all of that?
“Cole,” she spoke softly, her voice husky and sated. He could still detect that hint of fear in her tone. That hesitation.
“Yeah, Baby?”
Katherine smiled slightly against his chest, the endearment causing her heart to do that strange little flip against her ribs.
“When did you want to leave?” she asked, her belly fluttering. It had been close to six years. What would Stewart say to her? Would he hate her? Despise her for ruining his life, simply because they had been friends? Of course he would! Why wouldn’t he? He had every right to. It was all her fault that he was rotting away in prison for something that he didn’t do.
***
Cole rested his chin on her head, breathing in that scent that was all Katherine–soft, flowery… freaking amazing. It emanated from her life a sweet summer breeze and he didn’t think he had ever experienced anything like it before.
“I’ll have to make a few calls, but I’d like to leave as soon as possible.”
She nodded against his chest, her hand toying with the sprinkling of hair that covered it. “I have to make arrangements with Jeff to take care of the store if he can.”
“Jeff?” Cole asked, lifting his head and looking down at her. “Who’s Jeff?”
Katherine looked up and caught his gaze, wondering if that tiny bit of heat she saw was jealousy. She dismissed it as just wishful thinking and gave him a gentle smile. “He’s the manager at the store,” she explained softly and saw him visibly relax.
“I’ll need all the information you have on him as well,” Cole murmured, pulling the covers over their cooling bodies.
“Jeff?” She questioned, her eyebrows rising. “Jeff’s wonderful. He’s been with me since I opened the shop almost two years ago.”
“Still,” he replied, pulling her up so that her mouth was hovering over his. He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth as his hands slid down her body to the curve of her backside. She could feel him hardening against her stomach and wriggled; eliciting a deep, sexy as all hell, moan from him. “I’m checking out everyone that is in your life, Katherine. Christ, I’d check out my own mother if it would keep you safe,” he said finally, right before his mouth took hers.
***
Cole was on the phone as Katherine walked out of the bathroom the following morning, her hair damp from her shower. She could hear him making arrangements for them to leave first thing in the morning and her stomach tightened painfully. She was finally going to face Stewart. Face the anger that she knew had to be there. Face a part of her past that had haunted her for years.
She fought to control her nerves as she grabbed her cell phone and called the shop, seeing with a sinking feeling of guilt the four missed calls from Jeff.
“Katherine! Where on earth have you been?” he asked in a rush when he answered his phone. “I have been trying to get a hold of you. I was damn near calling the cops!”
“I know, Jeff…and I’m sorry,” She glanced over to where Cole sat and noticed him watching her as he barked
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