My Sweetest Sasha: Cole's Story (Meadows Shore Book 2) (18 page)

“
Besta
?”

“It means Grandma in Norwegian. She was actually my
farmor
, my father’s mother, but I had only one living grandmother, so we called her
besta
.”

“I love that.”

“
Besta
?”

“That she made you feel cherished. Sasha,” he whispered and kissed her again. “I’m warning you, I won’t leave Minnesota until you agree to give us a shot—just saying.”

She wiggled her bottom, making herself comfortable in his lap. “Kiss me for a little while longer and I’ll give you your answer.”

* * *

He groaned, a low, rumble from somewhere deep in chest. His body was desperate to find its way into her warmth.

They explored every inch of each other’s mouths for a long time, until a soft moan escaped from somewhere in the back of her throat and her eyes were as black as a starless sky.

“I want you—I want you so much, I feel like I’m going to die if I can’t have you soon,” he whispered.

She stroked his face. “I’m going back. Don’t give up your job for me. You know that saying, when you take a doctor’s life, you’re also responsible for the lives of everyone he could’ve saved? I won’t have that on my conscience.”

He let out a huge sigh of relief. “I would’ve walked away.”

She nodded. “I think you would have.” Alexa brushed her hand over his cheek. “Wanted me from the second you saw my panties, huh? I wasn’t ever sure you wanted me at all.”

“What could have possibly made you think I didn’t want you? I’ve wanted you for so long it’s damn near driven me crazy. I was waiting for the perfect time. But after you left and I didn’t know if you’d be back—it hit me that there would never be a perfect time, that we’d have to jump in and make our way against the current.”

“I’ve never seen you hesitate before diving in. Usually you don’t even bother to look first.”

“I always look, but I rarely pick through the grains of sand. Nothing’s been this important to me before.” He took a deep breath, “Jump with me?”

Alexa nodded. “I’ll even hold your hand when we take the leap,” she said. “But we’ve got to move slowly, maybe play in the shallow end for a while.”

“I’m tired of moving slowly,” he groaned. “That’s all I’ve been doing for the past two months. But for you, I will. For you, I’ll do anything.”

His lips touched her forehead right above the bridge of her nose and she could feel her eyelashes flutter against his skin.

“You haven’t been on a date since high school, which means you haven’t been in a relationship since then either.”

He shrugged.

“Exactly.”

“You don’t even know if you really want one.” As soon as it came out of her mouth, she pushed the thought away.

“Oh, I want one. I want one with you. I’ve never been more certain about anything.”

“I … I’m close to being in over my head already, just treading water,” she admitted. “I’m scared. I don’t want to get hurt, and you have the power to hurt me, maybe beyond repair.” Her chest rose and fell a half dozen times before she spoke again. “But I’d like to give us a chance, too, and see where it takes us. Otherwise, I’ll spend the rest of my life wondering if I let a good man—the best—get away.”

He stroked her hair and leaned his forehead against hers. “I’m afraid, too. Afraid I’ll suck at being a boyfriend, so afraid that my job will destroy us, but more than anything, I’m afraid of facing a life without you.”

He nuzzled her neck. “Mmmm,
Pamplelune
.”

“I’ve worn it every day since my birthday. I know it’s wasteful, but I even spray a little on before bed. It makes the nights without you less lonely.”

His heart jumped. “Don’t worry about using it all up, I’ll buy you vats of the stuff. I love the way it smells on you.”

He slid his finger down her cheek. “You’re right. I don’t know if I can manage a relationship. My life’s not easy, and it’ll be a while before it gets easier. The job is unpredictable, and some days are hell. I’ll miss things, important things, very important things, like your birthday. But then you already know what it’s like—you lived with it for a short while, even wrote about it.

“I missed having dinner with you, I missed you putting me in my place when I’m out of line, I missed the cute little thing you do with your hand when you tuck your hair behind your ear.” He tenderly brushed the loose tendrils off her face.

“I also have all those kids,” he said softly.

“Kids?” she squeaked.

“My brothers.”

“Ahh.” He heard the relief in her voice. “Good thing I like kids.”

“These aren’t cute little babies. They’re unruly teenagers in men’s bodies.” He shook his head.

“I read the report—every word. You nailed me.”

“It wasn’t all flattering.”

“I’m not all flattering.” He kissed her again, sweet and gentle. “You captured the essence of my life, of me. It’s exactly the way I’ve always hoped people would see me. Good, bad, imperfect, but always striving to be better.”

“You’re multi-layered, complex, with an amazing goodness at the core,” she said running her hand down his chest.

“I’d like you to write a different story now—I’d like to show you a different side of me. As a boyfriend, a lover, a man. I can’t promise I’ll be any good at this relationship thing—the next thing you write might be a horror story … I can only promise that I’ll try my best.”

“You trying is worth more than most other men’s promises. When you try, you give it everything you’ve got. But there’s one thing I need from you. It’s non-negotiable, and it’s not going to be easy for you to give.”

“You can have anything, Alexa. You can have everything.”

“You need to let me take care of you like you take care of me. You need to let me help carry the burdens of life. I can’t be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t trust me enough to do that. I need it all, Cole. I need to feel like I give you something important too.”

“You give me plenty, so much more than I deserve.”

“I mean it, Cole,” her voice was strong and unyielding.

They kissed for a long time, stroking and petting, until the windows fogged, making it impossible to see outside the truck. “I could spend the night out here with you, but I’m not really a superhero, and I think I’ve about used up all my mortal reserve.”

“You’re my superhero, and I want to be yours.” She snuggled deeper into his lap. “You still haven’t agreed to what I’ve asked. If we’re going to give this a real chance, you have to promise that you’ll share everything with me. The good, the bad, and the ugly. No secrets meant to protect me. It’s too destructive, and I won’t live like that.”

“I promise. I’m a selfish bastard,” he pushed her hair back from her face. “You’re going to spend more time taking care of me than you’d like. Trust me.”

She wasn’t entirely satisfied with his promise, but she’d take it … for now. “When we get back to Boston, I want to finish what we started here tonight. I want you to take me to your bed and love me with everything you’ve got—everything—love me until you’ve had your fill.”

He let his head fall back. “Jesus,” he growled. “I’m dying here, Alexa. And be careful what you wish for, sweetheart, because I’ll never have my fill of you,” he added, pulling her closer, his voice low and husky.

“Follow me back to my parents,” she said softly against his chest.

“Oh, baby, right now I’d follow you anywhere.”

Alexa spent the week with her family, and while she was away, Cole took on a few extra shifts so they could have some time together when she got back to Boston. Her flight was delayed, and on his way to the airport he hoped she’d remembered to dress for the football game.

He left his car in short-term parking and went inside to meet her. He’d been champing at the bit all morning, counting down the minutes until he saw her beautiful face with that dazzling smile, the one that lit his universe.

He looked up, and there she was, on the escalator moving toward him. It took everything he had not to jump the barrier, and scoop her up.

When she finally reached him, neither of them spoke. Instead, they used their mouths, their tongues, and even their hands, for a more meaningful hello. And for more than a brief moment, he wanted to scrap the idea of the game, and take her back to his apartment and worship her body all afternoon. Hell, who was he kidding? He wanted to tear her clothes off right then and there, and sink deep into her. That’s what he really wanted.

“I think we’re going to be late for the game,” she whispered, panting softly.

“What game?”

* * *

The Clayton and Harrington cousins were out in full force to support Jake. The home team won, and Jake played a near perfect game, leaving everyone elated. The weather was damp and unseasonably cold, but thermoses filled with brandy-laced hot chocolate had staved off the chill for most of the game, and might have added to the upbeat mood as well. The rain began to fall while they fought past the throngs on their way to the car.

“Let’s go back to my place, and I’ll make dinner. Your teeth are chattering, and you need to get out of those wet clothes and into a hot shower. Or maybe a warm bubble bath,” he added, remembering the basket sitting in the linen closet.

“You have bubble bath?” she asked,
fantasizing about sinking into a huge tub full of warm water and bubbles. Her stomach somersaulted when she wondered if he would share her bath.

* * *

When they reached the apartment, he went directly to draw the bath. He found the bubble bath hidden in the back of the closet behind the extra soap and shaving supplies. It was several years old—hopefully these sorts of things didn’t go bad. He unscrewed the cap and sniffed at the open bottle, and when it didn’t knock him over, he poured a good douse under the open spigot. It seemed to work, he thought, when the white scented foam began to take over the tub. He shrugged,
I guess that’s what it’s supposed to do.

Cole remembered the candles from one of the gift baskets his cousins brought him when he moved into the place. His brothers of course brought bar nuts, good beer, excellent scotch, top-shelf vodka, and assorted mixers—all useful.

His cousins had brought him soft, fussy sheets, and a basket for every room, each filled with an assortment of frivolous and mostly useless objects—at least from a guy’s perspective.

The basket for the bath had contained, among other items, candles, bubble bath, makeup remover, and tampons. He remembered a horrified Jake saying, “You know guys don’t get a period, right?” And Talia punching him in the arm, quietly smiling at Cole. “In case someone special stays over. That basket is for you to share with someone special. Don’t waste it on a fly-by-night.”

He put a match to the candles he’d never lit, and hung the thirsty white robe, also from the basket, on the hook behind the door. He wished he’d planned this better, thought to make it a little nicer for Alexa, maybe even a little romantic. Thankfully his cousins recognized him for the guy he was, and had come to his rescue. Otherwise there would have been nothing to make tonight special for her.

* * *

She could hear the water running, and peeked around the door to see what he was doing. She smiled. The lights were dim, and more than a dozen votives were scattered around, casting a soft glow throughout the room. And a mass of exotically-scented bubbles were about to escape over the side of the tub.

“Wow! It’s beautiful in here, and smells fabulous.”

He stopped lighting candles to admire his handiwork. “Yeah, it is kind of nice.” He kissed her. “Mmmm, go ahead in,” he whispered, “and I’ll bring you a glass of wine.”

She quickly undressed, put her hair up, and slid into the tub. The warm water banished her chill, and she was melting into the cavernous tub, completely relaxed, until she heard the knock at the door.

“Come in,” she called, hoping he missed the quiver in her voice. She wanted this—yes, she absolutely did. But she was nervous. It wasn’t her first time, but it would be her first time with him.

She was too in her head right now, as though sex were an intellectual pursuit, to be pondered, analyzed from every angle, rather than a glorious physical coupling meant to be experienced through the senses. She knew a little wine and a few of his kisses would set her on the right path. And right now she wanted both.

* * *

He brought her a glass of wine … something about this scene in the bathroom made it seem cliché, almost corny. At least that’s what he would have thought if someone had described it to him two months ago, but tonight there was nothing he’d rather do, nowhere he’d rather be.

He’d never taken a bath with a woman. Plenty of showers, but those had been rushed and purely sexual. Two things he didn’t want tonight. Tonight he wanted them to explore at their leisure, to enjoy the intimacy of discovering each other’s pleasure.

She was stunning, and naked under the clouds of foam. The image nearly robbed him of his breath. He sucked in some air, struggling against the urge to rip his clothes off, dive into the tub, and fill her with one savage plunge. He needed to get control of his body. The intensity with which he wanted her would surely scare her away. It almost scared him.

He crouched down, put his beer on the edge of the tub, and handed her a glass of cool sauvignon blanc, already starting to bead from the heat in the room. “Would you mind if I climbed in?”

“Yes. I mean, no, I don’t mind,” she smiled. Her eyes were glassy, which he recognized as nerves.

He undressed before she could change her mind and eased into the tub across from her as the water edged up, nearly spilling over the sides. The laughter bubbled up from their bellies while they tried to be very still, hoping to prevent a flood. He opened the drain, releasing a bit of the water, and scooched his legs between hers and the bottom of the tub.

Resting her left foot in his hand, he made tight concentric circles below her arch, massaging until she moaned softly. When she threw her head back, he almost gave in to the need, but instead, he dropped a small kiss on her big toe before abandoning her left foot for her right. He never took his eyes from hers, and they generated enough heat between them to make the Jacuzzi heater almost superfluous.

“Warming up?”

“Mmmm, yes.”

* * *

She didn’t allow herself to gawk at him while he undressed, but when he stepped in the tub it had been impossible not to stare at his body—hard and muscular, every inch. Clearly he spent a lot of time in the small gym adjacent to his bedroom.

After a heavenly foot massage, where he played every muscle, strummed every tendon with expert precision, they chatted about nothing. The wine went down smoothly, soothing her throat, parched from the hot, steamy room.

She was in a state somewhere between highly aroused and loosely pliant, her brain fuzzy from the combination of the moist heat and the cool wine.

“I’m right here when you’re ready to be closer to me, or if you need a little body heat to warm you.”

She gave him a weak smile while the gears turned inside her swampy head.
Stop over-thinking every little thing. Stop thinking, period!
But Alexa knew she couldn’t stop her mind from racing until she was over on the other side of the tub, lost in him. After a few nervous minutes, she scooted over until she was kneeling between his legs, exposing more of her breasts than she’d planned, and pressing her lips to his in the softest of kisses.

“Hi,” he said, meeting her eyes and caressing her face with the back of his hand. “You’re completely in control here, you know.”

“Maybe you need to lead—I don’t have much … I haven’t been with many … ” She lowered her eyes and her voice trailed off to barely a whisper.

He curled his finger under her chin. “I know. That’s why you’re driving. Take me wherever you want to go. I want tonight to be about you—I want to know everything that makes your body hum. I want you to show me … everything.”

When his gaze became too intense for her to hold, she looked down at the bubbles floating on the surface of the water. If her face got any hotter, she’d faint.

He lifted her chin again. “I know you’re nervous, but I need you to look at me, Alexa. Otherwise my fingers will spend the entire night under your chin, and there are so many other places they ache to be.”

* * *

He hadn’t been this nervous with a woman since he was a teenager. Even his first time, with Callie Monroe, in the basement of her parents’ house while her mother slept upstairs, he hadn’t been this nervous.

“I’m a little nervous too,” he admitted. “But if you give me a few minutes, if you let me touch you, I promise we’ll both forget to be nervous.”

He kissed her neck and swept long strokes over the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, and without him noticing when it happened, she was on his lap with her legs wrapped around his waist. He could see the arousal in her eyes and hear it in her quick, shallow breaths.

“Let’s get out. I can’t wait any longer, and I don’t want our first time to be here. I’ve got to have you in my bed—now—I’ve already waited too long, too damn long,” he said between kisses so sultry, her belly clenched.

He wrapped an oversized towel around her shoulders, and another around his waist. Her body was gorgeous, more gorgeous than he’d imagined. Without ever lifting his lips from her rosy, satin skin, he helped her finish drying off.

Just when it seemed like they’d never make it to the bedroom, he grabbed the fluffy robe from the hook on the door and eased her into it. “You’re swimming in this, but it’ll work,” he said, belting it securely around her, and then carefully pulling the rubber band from her hair. He gulped softly when she shook her head, and the silky mass fanned out over her shoulders.

“Do you want some water?” he asked before scooping her off the tile floor and carrying her to his bed.

“I’d like a little more wine, please,” she said, as he carelessly threw back the comforter and lay down beside her on the soft, cool sheets.

* * *

She’d never experienced this kind of drawn-out foreplay. They were involved in a slow, erotic dance, creating unimaginable need, and heightening sensations that skittered over her skin, making her shiver. She was close, so close to begging him to take her. So close to shoving him onto his back and lowering herself over his hardness. Maybe the wine would help take the edge off, prevent her from mounting him like a madwoman hell-bent on cooling the burning between her legs.

“No more wine, Alexa. We can have some later, as much as you want. I need to know you shared yourself with me because you want to—I need you to be sure. It has to be all you, with no help from the wine.”

He stole his tongue back into her mouth, exploring every corner.

“I’m sure. I’m absolutely sure,” she panted.

“The robe stays on until you’re ready. We won’t do anything that doesn’t make you feel good, sweetheart.” His hands were everywhere, but the robe was a formidable barrier, leaving her skin craving more.

She explored his back, skating over the firm muscles and smooth, taut skin, resting at the crown of his hips before slowly inching her way down his backside. She could feel the muscles flex under her touch.

He caressed her breasts through the thickness of the robe, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy the escalating desire. She wanted—needed—to feel his hands, his mouth, on her flesh. She loosened the belt, inviting him to touch, to enjoy her breasts.

He wasted no time sliding under the terry cloth and stroking her. With hand on each breast, he caressed with a feather touch that became firmer as he neared the buds. A small groan fell from her lips when he finally found her nipple, rolling it between his finger and thumb while lowering his head to satisfy the other greedy nub.

By the time his mouth found hers again, she was rubbing herself against him, the friction heightening the skin sensations. She needed relief, and she needed it bad. The chatter in her head was gone, along with any sense of modesty.

“You can finish unbelting the robe when you’re ready,” he whispered, right before his tongue forged a path between her belly button and her breasts.

She was wild for him, like an animal caged without food. She yanked the robe open and threw it off her shoulders, fully exposing herself to him.