Break Away (The Moore Brothers Book 4) (14 page)

“That’s gotta feel really good.”

Cole shook his head and let out a long breath. “Honestly? I can’t actually process it yet. But yeah, it feels damn good. And even more honestly? Watching her find the strength to change after all this time gave me the courage to think that maybe I could change, too. That maybe I could do the girlfriend thing.”

Lilah smiled. She couldn’t believe he had just spoken all those words about himself to her. Paragraphs and paragraphs about his thoughts and feelings with very little joking or sarcasm thrown in. Did he even open up like that to Maggie? Had he ever opened up like that before? Was she really one of the only people who finally got to see inside the mind and heart of Cole Bennett?

“So what do you think?” he asked, staring at her with more intensity than she was prepared for.

“About what?” Was he asking her about his past? Because she didn't think he was ready to hear what she really thought about his past.

“About the girlfriend thing?”

Lilah’s heart dropped to her stomach and took her jaw with it. “Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?”

Cole made a face like he was thinking and then nodded. “Yep. The rust bucket has started every day for the last few weeks and you have definitely been the girl to change my mind. I just want to spend as much time next to you as I can. I don’t like the idea of anyone else spending time with you. I want to claim you. I want you to be mine. All mine. And I am not in the mood to share, not even a little.”

“Do I get to say that I’m not in the mood to share, too?” Lilah wanted to say yes more than anything in the world. She wanted to be his and wanted him to be hers, but she couldn’t stand the thought of making things official with him only to find out he hadn’t been faithful. Her heart wouldn’t stand up under being cheated on. She knew that without a doubt in her mind.

Cole pretended to consider. “I guess you can say it, but does that mean I have to listen?”

Lilah laughed and shook her head. “Cole…” She closed her eyes. “I’m being serious here.”

All humor drained from his face and he took her hands. “I haven’t looked at another woman since the day I scared that creep off you at the diner. Only you, Lilah Moore. Only you.”

A
ugust bled
into September and Lilah spent more and more time at Cole’s. Or, he spent more time at her apartment. Or really, they managed to turn two apartments into one apartment. She never slept alone anymore. Every night she was either at his place or he was at hers. Today, she woke up in his bed, which was her favorite place to wake up.

He thought he had become the master of slipping out in the morning without waking her, but really, she woke up every time. She always stayed still and let her breathing stay even. Just listened to him moving around and getting ready. Loved the intimacy of watching him pick out his clothes for the day. Of smelling his body wash and cologne filter out of the bathroom along with the steam from the shower.

As always, he kissed her on the head before slipping out the door. She listened to him pour a cup of coffee and grab his keys. Close the door softly behind himself and lock it. As she heard his truck roar to life, she let her eyes slide closed again. She would sleep until the sun peeked through the blinds and then slip back into her apartment for a shower before she got ready for work.

Even after a month of mornings like this, she missed him the moment he was gone. Even though she knew she would see him later in the evening, even though logic dictated there was no reason to miss him at all, her heart didn’t understand time and logic. All it knew was that he wasn’t with her here and now. That it wanted him near and in this moment, he was not. She ached for him in his absence and right now, stretched out in his bed, she pulled his pillow into her arms and breathed in his scent. Just smelling him made her feel safe.

Maybe, before she left, she would sneak into his bathroom and put on some of his cologne so she could feel safe all day. Maybe, if she could smell him, she wouldn’t miss him so much. She rolled over onto her back, clutching his pillow to her chest, and let herself drift back to sleep.

* * *

T
his might have been
the longest day of work for in anyone in the whole wide world since the very beginning of time. Forever and ever. Amen.

Christy-Anne had called in at the last minute with two of her three kids vomiting and not a babysitter in sight. Ruby, a waitress with hair died a violent red, had pulled a no-show. And Lou hadn’t been able to find anyone to cover either shift. So, on the busiest night in the diner’s entire history, Lilah and one other girl had raced between tables, covering the entire diner between just the two of them.

Lilah’s wallet was fat from tips and Lou had even gone so far as to call her a rock star. Like, given her an honest to goodness compliment without even a single if, and, or but to qualify it. Lilah felt like a rock star. She had been so on it today. Rattling off orders, remembering to pick up the little extra thing each and every customer wanted. Finding time to joke and smile with the regulars. The night had flown by but now her feet ached and her bones were weary and all she wanted was a warm bath.

She pulled the rust bucket into her spot and turned her off, silently thanking Cole for whatever he had done to make her reliable. The old Neon might not look great, but Lilah didn’t worry about being stuck out on the road anymore. As she pulled the key out of the ignition, something caught her eye on her doorstep. Well, several somethings.

Were those candles?

She slid out of the car and limped up to her door and yes. They were candles. And a trail of rose petals. Leading right from Lilah’s front door to Cole’s front door. That man! He knew just how to make the simple things feel like big things. Lilah blew out the candles because it didn’t seem like such a great idea to leave them laying around like that and pushed through Cole’s front door.

The rose petals led right up his stairs, a candle flickering on each step. Weariness drained from her as she followed the path he laid out from her and was replaced with excitement and happiness. This little fluttering in her heart and belly. This delightful light that filled her soul. She expected the roses to lead into his bedroom and her body was already getting wound up for another round of fantastic sex and mind-blowing orgasms.

But as soon as she reached the top of the stairs, the trail of candles and rose petals veered off into the bathroom. Cole was waiting by a tub filled with water, a layer of frothy bubbles floating on the surface. He had two bottles of beer, one in each hand, and that vivid smile lighting up his face.

“Oh my god,” she said, dropping her purse to the floor. “How did you know?”

“I stopped by the diner to see you tonight.” He handed her one of the bottles. “I saw the line of people waiting for tables. Saw you and some other girl racing around like pros and figured you were gonna need some TLC when you got home.”

“You really are the bestest of the best,” she said, sliding into his arms.

“And don’t you forget it.” Cole took her by the shoulders and pushed her ever so gently away. “Plus, you smell like fry grease and I want to fuck your brains out tonight. Thought I might like it better if you got cleaned up first.”

Lilah sat back on her heel. “I knew all this had to have some kind of ulterior motive from Cole Bennett.”

“Aww. You
do
know me, princess.” Cole undid her buttons, one at a time, and slid her shirt down off her shoulders.

“Damn right I do.” She watched him unbutton her pants and slide them down her hips and really hoped he meant to make good on his promise of fucking her brains out. She looked up and found him watching her with a look so gentle, it was out of place on Cole’s face. “What?”

“It’s nothing,” he said, and dropped his eyes to her breasts as he reached around and undid her bra.

She shrugged out of it and it dropped to the floor with a light thud. “Oh, no, there’s something.”

Cole slid her panties down, kneeling to drag them from her hips to her ankles. She placed her hands on his shoulders to steady herself as she stepped out of them. There was no way he would answer her question now. Whatever it was he was thinking was still so far in the part that was only meant for Cole that Lilah wondered if she would ever get to know that part of him. She steeled herself for some comment about getting her naked and how hot she looked.

Cole straightened and ran a finger along her collarbone, from her shoulder, up her neck, until he cupped her cheek with his hand. Lilah leaned into his touch.

“I was thinking that I’ve never been this close to someone before. That’s all.” He blinked slowly as if he was afraid to stop looking in her eyes.

“I feel the same.” She smiled and they stood there in his bathroom, her naked and him clothed, his hand on her cheek, holding each other’s gazes and this felt like one of the biggest, most important moments in Lilah’s life. Like she had crossed some kind of line.

She meant what she said. She told him every thought she had. Every worry. Every fear. Every success. She didn’t hold anything back from him. Well, except about her parents’ money. And that little secret hung more and more heavily on her. At first, she hadn’t told him because it was part of the stipulation of the bet her brothers had made with her. But then, as they got closer and closer, it just seemed harder and more awkward to bring up. She was going to have to fix that one of these days. He had been honest about his past. It was time to be honest about hers.

Except now was not the time. Because right now he was helping her into the bath he had drawn for her. Sitting on the toilet in the tiny bathroom and joking with her about his day. He even rubbed her feet, pulling them one at a time out of the water and propping them on the edge of the tub while Lilah leaned back and let the stress of work seep out of her.

“Damn that feels good,” she said as he circled his thumbs into her arch.

“Do you like that?” He moved his hands from her arch to her heel, and then from her heel to her ankle. Lilah opened her eyes and found him staring at her hungrily. He traced a finger up her calf, leaning over the edge of the tub as he found her thigh. She sank a little lower in the water, opening her legs, inviting him to continue his journey.

He stopped about midway up her thigh and let his gaze singe her own. “Are you properly relaxed?”

Lilah nodded. “I’m less relaxed now. You do crazy things to me with your touch.”

“I plan on doing crazy things to you, alright. Are you feeling adventurous?”

Nerves flitted around in Lilah’s head, battling desire for top priority. “What do you mean?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Answering a question with a question is never a good thing.”

“You’re dodging me, princess. Do you trust me?”

Lilah swallowed hard. She still worried about Cole finding some other woman who stole his interest. Still worried that he would break her heart. She knew that wasn’t what he was asking and now was not the time to admit that little fear. “I trust you,” she said and meant that she trusted him with her body. That she knew he wouldn’t hurt her physically, even if she was still afraid he would break her heart.

“Good. Then we’re going to play a game tonight.” Cole’s eyes hardened with this heady mixture of lust and power. “I want you to get out of the tub. Dry off using that towel. Meet me in my room. I want you on your knees. Hands in your lap. Eyes on your hands. Understand?”

Lilah giggled. “How very Fifty Shades of you.”

Cole pulled his hand out of the water and grabbed her face, his fingers reaching around to the base of her neck. He didn’t hurt her, not even a little, but his movement was fast and it scared her. Water dropped from his hand onto her cheek and she blinked furiously, meeting his eyes and thrilling at what she saw. Gone was the playful Cole, the cocky Cole. In his place was someone harder and darker and Lilah couldn’t believe how turned on she was. Her clit throbbed and her nipples beaded up, poking out of the water and aching for Cole’s touch.

“Do you understand?” he asked again, meeting her eyes with just the hint of her favorite smile playing on his lips.

“Yes.”

“Good.” And with that, he stood up and stalked out of the room. She heard him go downstairs as she got up and drained the water from the tub. Dried off using the towel he had pointed out to her and walked naked out of the bathroom and into his bedroom. She kneeled on the floor and waited for him, trying to feel ridiculous, but the way her body ached and throbbed, the way moisture pooled between her legs, made it impossible to believe that she felt anything but way the fuck turned on.

Finally Cole strode up the stairs. He paused in the doorway and Lilah lifted her eyes from her hands to see his face, knowing full well that if they were playing the game she thought they were playing, she was not supposed to look at him until he said to.

His lips quirked into a smile and for a second, he was her Cole, playful and cocky. “Do you have an idea what you’re getting into?” he asked and the commanding tone was gone.

“I think so.”

“And you’re still feeling adventurous?”

“I think so.” She smiled despite trying to be serious.

“Well, the look on your face, those tight nipples, and the way your chest is heaving with your breath tells me that you’re feeling a little more certain than you’re leading on.” Cole pushed off the wall and walked towards her. Put a finger to her chin and lifted her face to meet his gaze. “Remember, this is just a game. You don’t like what I’m doing and you tell me to stop and I will. You’re in control, here, not me.”

“Don’t I need a safeword or something?” Lilah blushed. Was this really her? Kneeling naked and submissive in front of a man? No one who had ever known her even a little would believe it if she told them.

“Just what do you think I’m about to do to you?” Cole looked concerned. “Are you afraid?”

“No. I trust you with my body.” Lilah looked at her hands. “The thing is, I just really don’t know what you’re about to do to me.”

“Tell you what. I’m not one who gets off on making a woman cry. I know some guys need a woman to struggle and scream underneath them, but that’s not me, princess. You say stop or no, or I don’t like that, and that puts the brakes on the whole deal for me. I get off when you like what I’m doing. But, if it makes you feel better, if you want a safeword, how about you just say peaches and we’re done.”