Resisting Her (6 page)

After a few seconds of quietly picking at her
thumbnail, she asked, “Do you think anyone from the compound could
find me here?”

He doubted that’d be possible. She was
supposed to be at the halfway house. Though if someone was
interested enough and started poking around, the facility
coordinator may remember Cole and she could be tracked down through
him, but why would anyone bother?

“Why are you asking?”

“There was someone…”

“Someone what?”

She looked down, once again becoming
fascinated with her thumbnail.

“Answer me.” He didn’t intend the brute force
behind his voice.

“Jacob’s son.”

Cole racked his brain. The file mentioned
that Jacob had a twenty-one year old son, Dillon, but he hadn’t
been living at the compound at the time of the raid. “Dillon.”

She nodded.

“Is he dangerous?”

“No, nothing like that.” She hesitated for a
beat, but before Cole could probe again, she released a sigh and
continued. Dillon had lived at the compound up until last year.
He’d gone away to look for a better paying job, but swore he’d come
back for her. Despite Savannah’s platonic-only feelings for him, he
was convinced they’d get married someday. He brushed off her
hesitations, telling her they were meant to be together and he was
going to take care of her.

Cole turned to her and took her hands,
holding them in between his palms. “Listen. He’s not going to find
you here. You’re safe. Okay?”

She nodded. “Okay.”

After breakfast Cole announced he was going
to the grocery store. “Is there anything you’d like? You could make
a list,” he encouraged, sliding his wallet into the back pocket of
his jeans.

“Oh no, you get what you like. I don’t want
to be a pest.”

“Savannah, you’re not.” His look of sincerity
stopped any further arguments from her, but she didn’t provide him
with a list. He didn’t want to press it, because even after setting
a pad of paper and a pen on the counter, Savannah solemnly shook
her head. He didn’t know if her refusal was because she really felt
like she was overstepping her bounds, or if perhaps she couldn’t
write; so he let it drop.

At the grocery store his usual routine was to
grab just the essentials and juggle everything in his arms. This
time though, he wandered down each aisle and practically got one of
everything, throwing things into the cart at will. He ventured to
the carpeted section of the superstore where there were racks of
clothing. Savannah probably needed a few essentials, but he didn’t
know her size, or what she might like, so he kept walking. He stood
in an aisle, looking at the plastic packages of underpants. But
damn, buying her panties seemed too forward. He fled, feeling odd
even standing in the aisle.

He knew that if she stayed longer, they’d
have to cross that bridge and get her more clothes, but not today.
Not by himself. He’d have to bring her along next time so she could
tell him her size. He didn’t allow lovers to stay over, so he
didn’t have so much as a spare toothbrush in his guest bathroom, so
he settled on picking up a toothbrush—something practical, yet
still impersonal. He also tossed pink bottles of shampoo and
conditioner into his cart before heading for the checkout
lanes.

When he got home Savannah was nowhere to be
found. Her bedroom door was closed, so he went to work putting away
all the groceries, finding that the cabinets were fuller than they
had ever been.

When Savannah emerged fifteen minutes later,
showered, and once again dressed in the sweats and T-shirt he’d
given her last night, he regretted not buying her any clothes. He
wondered if she even had panties or a bra under them. He watched
her move towards the kitchen and peek inside the cabinets and
fridge.

“How’d I do?” he asked, coming up behind her,
but bracing himself against the island to keep a physical barrier
between them.

“Quite well. I can make lasagna, pot pie, do
some baking. This is perfect.”

Cole smiled, glad that he had pleased her. “I
got these for you too.” He pushed the toothbrush, shampoo and
conditioner toward her.

Savannah’s eyes lit up as she took the
bottles in her hands. “Thank you.” You would have thought he’d
given her some elaborate gift. Sure, he splurged a little and
bought a brand more expensive than his own cheap shampoo, but he
figured she deserved some basic comforts right now. Her whole life
had just been turned upside down.

***

Savannah watched Cole from the corner of her
eye, trying to figure out his motivation.
He only wants you for
what’s between your legs.
Jacob’s gruff voice in her head was
unwelcome, yet familiar at the same time. What did Cole want with
her? Thoughts like that had swirled through her mind since she’d
first arrived here. Did he want to touch her? Would he be rough
about it, or whisper and caress her sweetly as he touched her?
Would she stop him if he tried? Scream and kick and run from the
apartment? What would she do then? Maybe she would just let him do
what he wanted, take what he wanted. His hands were calloused, but
had been gentle when he’d cleaned her wounds, so perhaps it
wouldn’t be so bad. She could just squeeze her eyes closed and
think of something else.

But now it seemed less likely, since he
hadn’t yet tried to touch her, hadn’t laid a single finger on her.
And she didn’t know what to make of it. Her head felt dizzy with
the waiting. At this point she just wanted him to make his move, to
get on with it. The waiting and not knowing when he’d strike was
exhausting. And so was not knowing how she’d respond.

Being around Cole heightened her senses and
left her reeling. She’d never felt this way about Dillon, despite
his obvious advances, and found it interesting that even in the
presence of Cole’s relative distance, her curiosity was piqued and
her body at full attention.

She looked down at the pink bottle of shampoo
in her hands. She opened the cap and inhaled. Floral notes and the
mouth-watering scent of ripe peaches met her senses, and she
smiled. She’d used Cole’s shampoo that smelled like spearmint and
made her scalp tingle, which she liked just fine, but it was nice
to have something of her own. Her mouth curved into a slow grin at
the thought of Cole picking this out her for. And she relished
having conditioner too. Her hair would resemble a bird’s nest
without it.

After placing the bottles in the guest
bathroom, she rejoined Cole in the kitchen to see what she might
make for dinner. And perhaps she could even do some baking. As
Savannah moved about the kitchen, Cole watched her with suspicion,
like he was sure she was about to break down, or freak out at any
moment. She didn’t feel like crying anymore. She didn’t feel much
of anything anymore. She just wanted to be sure the kids were okay
and figure out her new life, taking one day at a time. She felt
relieved more than anything to be free from Jacob and the compound
where she’d felt so out of place. And grateful for Cole for giving
her a second chance at a life. But being unable to understand his
intentions was eating away at her. She couldn’t say she was afraid
of him; she knew that wasn’t it. More like curious about his
motives. She felt comfortable enough, dressed in his soft, worn
clothing, making herself at home in his kitchen, and most oddly,
making herself comfortable in his arms. It was a comfort she
needed, and wouldn’t deny herself. And after Cole had failed to
make any type of move on her last night, she’d grown more
comfortable, burrowing into his strong arms on the couch and
allowing herself the tiniest semblance of safety, even if it
wouldn’t last forever.

Cole awoke suddenly to the sound of a muffled
shout.
What the-?

He was out of bed in an instant and reaching
for the handgun he kept in the drawer beside his bed, but then he
remembered Savannah. He jogged across the hall and found her
thrashing in bed, her arms fighting an imaginary opponent, soft
sobs escaping her lips.

“No! No!” she shouted. “Don’t leave me. You
can’t leave me.” Her voice was filled with so much emotion, such
aguish, it nagged at Cole. During the spilt second it took him to
cross the room, he wasn’t sure if she was talking to him, or still
dreaming.

But when he reached the bed and saw the
moonlit glow across her face, her eyes were still closed. She was
having a nightmare.

“Savannah.” He shook her shoulders.
“Savannah, wake up. It’s just a dream.”

Her eyes flashed open and locked on his.
“Cole?”

“Yes, it’s Cole, sweetheart, I’m here.”

She reached up for his neck and tugged him
down on top of her. Hot tears against his neck kept him from
pulling away, like logic demanded he do. Instead his arms snaked
around her prone body, and he pulled her even closer. “Shh. It’s
okay. I’ve got you.”

She let out a weak sob and clutched him even
tighter, holding on for dear life. After several minutes, her cries
had let up, but her death grip on him had not. Knowing that neither
of them would get any sleep at this rate, Cole lay down beside her,
folding her gently against his body— her back to his front— and
wrapped her in his arms. She turned her head and met his eyes,
silently begging him not to hurt her. That look just about crushed
him. He soothed a hand along her cheek, brushing her messy hair
away from her face. He wondered if her dream had been about Dillon,
that guy she’d been worried about. “You’re safe. Sleep now.”

His third day off work passed much like the
others —he spent the day with Savannah. She cooked. He ate. It was
nice, this routine they were developing. Of course he still had no
clue what he was doing letting her stay with him. And the longer
she stayed, the more likely it was she would discover the skeletons
of Cole’s past that were better left in the closet. But those
thoughts were pushed to the very back of his mind with Savannah’s
sweet innocence to distract him.

After a dinner of steak, baked potatoes and
steamed broccoli, Savannah popped popcorn on the stove and they
curled up on the couch to watch a movie. It was a romantic comedy.
Savannah leaned forward, curious about the mushy parts, watching
the onscreen couple kiss and tumble into bed like she’d never seen
anything like it before. Hell, maybe she hadn’t.

Cole did his best to try and keep some
distance between them, but Savannah inched closer and closer until
she was pressed against his side, her head resting on his shoulder.
He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and hold her,
but the thought was so unwelcome, so unlike him, that he forced
himself to sit immobile, and did his best not to notice the
beautiful girl beside him. Like that was even possible.

When their movie ended, Cole turned on the
news. The first story was about takedown of the cult compound. His
eyes flicked to Savannah to measure her reaction, but she’d fallen
asleep, her face peaceful and beautiful. He alternated between
stealing glances at her sleeping form, and watching the coverage on
the compound, but learned nothing new. He waited for the news story
to end, and shook her shoulder to wake her. “Savannah, come on,
let’s get you in bed.”

She roused, her sleepy eyes blinking up at
him. “No, not yet. I want to stay here with you,” she whispered,
her voice raspy from sleep.

She trusted him way too much. She needed to
go to her room and probably lock the goddamn door, because the way
that T-shirt clung to her tits and crept up her side to expose a
taunt patch of skin forced his mind to the gutter. He imagined
lifting her shirt over her head and nibbling on her soft flesh,
exploring her breasts with gentle licks and kisses until she was
moaning out his name in that sweet sleep-laced voice.

He swallowed roughly. “You need to go to bed.
You’re falling asleep.”

She met his eyes. “I don’t want to be alone,”
she admitted.

He knew he had probably made a mistake by
sleeping in the bed with her last night, and he certainly hadn’t
meant to set a precedent, but knowing he couldn’t refuse her
request, he simply nodded and led her to his room. His bed was
bigger. “Do you want to sleep in my room?”

“With you?” she asked, her voice rising in
uncertainty.

He nodded.

“Yes.”

After they got ready for bed, Cole peeled
back the covers and Savannah crawled in. She snuggled into his
pillows and inhaled. “It smells like you.”

He didn’t ask if that was good or bad, but
the sleepy little smile on her lips confirmed her opinion on the
matter. He didn’t quite know how to process the fact that his musky
scented sheets — that were probably due for a washing — were
pleasing to her. He liked her scent too, though. Maybe it was only
natural to be attracted to the scent of the opposite sex.

Cole knew this was dangerous ground. Not just
because he was undeniably attracted to her, but because he was
afraid that he was making himself too vital in her life. She
certainly couldn’t stay here long-term, and then what? He never
intended for her to grow attached to him. Yet that was exactly what
seemed to be happening. Cole changed in the bathroom, stripping off
his shirt and stepping into the pajama pants he’d begun wearing for
Savannah’s benefit.

When he crawled into bed in the dimly lit
room, Savannah inched toward him and nestled in against his bare
chest. The soft curve of her breast pressed against the firm plain
of his chest, and her legs tangled with his. He went instantly
hard.
Fuck
.

He sat up and removed her grasp on him. “No,
Savannah. You can’t do that. You can sleep in here if you want, but
I need my space.”

She bit her lip and looked down, seemingly
hurt at being scolded.

“Hey, it’s okay. You didn’t do anything
wrong. I’m just used to sleeping on my own.” It was the truth, but
not entirely. He wanted nothing more to take her in his arms and
hold her all night. Hell, if he was admitting it to himself, he
wanted to do a lot more than that to her tempting little body,
though he’d never let himself act on it. He would not take
advantage of her that way, but mostly he just didn’t want her to
discover he was hard.