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  When her trembling stopped, he pulled himself from her body. Cole lifted her, turned her toward him.

  “Hearing you come apart like that…”

  She’d never been so loud. Jessie’s eyes drifted open. His face was tight with strain. His eyes dark in the faint light seeping in from the hallway.

  “But you didn’t…”

  He gave her a lazy smile. “I will. Like this.”

  Cole backed her up a few steps to the angled landing halfway up the stairs. He cushioned her as he pushed her down, until the soft carpet was tickling her back.

  Even though he stood steps below Jessie, Cole loomed above her. The muscles of his shoulders and arms bunched in measured control. His penis jutted forward. She watched as his eyes scanned her flushed skin. She could imagine what she looked like. Her hair a scattered mess about her face. Her skin rosy from that intense orgasm.

  Any other time she would have felt exposed. Uncomfortable. Even in front of a trusted lover. But she loved feeling Cole’s gaze on her sated body. Loved knowing the sight of her made him hard. Brought that harsh intake of breath.

  She balanced her elbows on the landing, raising herself higher. Her breasts peaked, and his eyes flared.

  “Spread your legs for me.”

  Without hesitation she made room for him between her thighs.

  Cole sank to his knees on the stair below her. He lowered his chest, bracing his weight beside her. He covered her, the hair on his chest teasing her nipples.

  His eyes met hers. “Tell me you want me,” he said.

  “I want you.” She grabbed his ass, drawing him closer. “I want all of you.”

  Something hot yet elusive flickered in the depths of his eyes, then vanished. “This is going to be so good.” His words were a promise. Then he surged within her.

  Her head dropped back. His touch felt incredible.

  The stairs creaked as he thrust. Each stroke making her wetter. Bringing her closer. His rhythm wasn’t as controlled this time. His breathing was harsh and coming out in pants. Yet he still found that special place inside her that positively made her come undone. He aimed for it as he stroked.

  Jessie wrapped her legs around his waist, the friction against her clit almost too much.

  A wave of red-hot pleasure took her over. She moaned, gasped his name, and he moved within her in earnest.

  “Now, Jessie. Go now.” The raw inflection of his voice urging her on was the most erotic sound she’d ever heard. Cole was a man on the edge. Barely able to control himself for her…that sent her over the brink.

  She gripped him with her thighs as her orgasm exploded. Cole groaned above her, and she knew he was finding his own release.

  10

  JESSIE STRETCHED between the soft cotton sheets. Her body was absolutely sated. Her muscles so relaxed, she’d swear she’d never need a massage again.

  But the physical fulfillment of her flesh couldn’t begin to compete with the utter rightness she felt in her spirit. As if she’d been reborn with a whole new energy.

  She closed her eyes and savored the feeling.

  Her stomach clenched. Her muscles tensed. What the hell?

  Jessie shot up in bed. Did she just think the words utter rightness?

  She glanced down at the sleeping man beside her. So buff. So handsome.

  So…so needing to be gone. She had to get him out of her bed. Out of her home. Now.

  But how? His big body practically covered her mattress, and he slept the sleep of the dead. Or the recently orgasmed.

  A small smile tugged at her lips. Of course, he’d given her two, so she’d cut him some slack. After catching their breath, they’d finally made it to her bedroom, where she’d collapsed without even pulling off the decorative shams.

  Cole moved in his sleep, his hand snaking out to wind around her arm. He tugged, hauling her toward his side.

  She let him, wrapped herself against him and inhaled deeply. She loved the smell of him. Citrusy and minty and very, very masculine. His fingers caressed her thighs. Okay, maybe he could stay a little longer.

  What the hell was she thinking?

  Jessie glanced at the clock. It was past five o’clock in the morning. Lying in bed in fitful sleep was not an option. She had another job later that night. Also, she wasn’t taking into account the two-day trip to Memphis she still needed to pack and prep for. And at some time she’d have to work up the images she’d taken the night before in the park.

  Warmth suffused her as she thought of the park. How Cole had kissed her on the merry-go-round. Caressed her on the swing. Place number two she’d boldly stated she’d never have sex—a park. Yeah, she could see the humor in it. First the parking lot, then the park. She might as well drag Cole to the library and do him in the stacks, just to firmly grind all those statements into the ground.

  Hmm, that didn’t sound half-bad.

  But this really was bad. She must be far gone if thoughts of the municipal library were turning her on.

  Jessie smoothed the hair out of her eyes. Get serious. Get up. Get dressed and get him out of there.

  Flings were flings. They weren’t sleepovers. Wake him up. Don’t offer him coffee and never, ever give him a goodbye kiss.

  She tapped his shoulder, ignoring how good his skin felt beneath her fingers. He rolled over onto his back, and she sucked in a breath. His eyelashes fanned against his skin. That shadow of his beard was even darker now. Those sexy lips of his, lips that did such naughty things to her in the night…

  Sure, she wanted him out of her bed, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate him while he still slept. Cole was all man now. Any trace of the boy she knew was gone.

  She’d thought him cute back then, and would daydream in civics class, thinking how soft his lips would be. Now those lips were rugged. His chin solid and strong. Where his cheeks were once thin they were now filled out. Just like the rest of him. Broad shoulders. Muscular arms.

  All in all, a solid male package.

  Jessie shook her head. No getting dreamy about him. If she wasn’t careful, instead of doodling his name in her notebook, she’d be Photoshopping their pictures together. And trying to splice in images of future children. Only the technology and the tools had changed.

  Now would be a good time for a dose of reality.

  It was just sex. Incredible, toe-curling, snuggling-afterward sex, but just sex all the same. In fact, it probably wasn’t even that good. It was the anticipation of all those years mixed in with a little high-school angst. Really, what man could hit the G-spot and the clit all on the first go-around?

  Hell, the stairs cutting into her back had been damn uncomfortable.

  Jessie tapped his shoulder again. He opened his eyes, which were more green than hazel now.

  A slow smile spread across his face. “Good morning,” he rumbled. His voice was deliciously sleepy.

  “I didn’t want you to be late for work,” she told him.

  He sat up with a start, the muscles of his stomach bunching as he moved. “What time is it?”

  “Almost six.”

  He groaned and scrubbed his hand down his face. “Yeah, thanks.”

  The bed shifted under his weight and he pushed the covers aside with his leg. He stood. And she almost rethought coffee. The early morning sun barely flicked into the room, but she could clearly see his naked body. The palms of her hands had practically memorized it last night. For a few moments, she considered asking him to stay.

  She reclined against the pillows, watching him through half-open eyes.

  “You’re not getting up?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “Why? I’m enjoying the view. And I don’t have to go to work for hours yet.”

  He smiled, apparently not the least bit perturbed that she was openly ogling his naked form. She sighed and wondered if women would ever achieve the utter lack of self-consciousness about their bodies that men possessed. Jessie certainly hoped so. In the meantime, she went to a dresser and
grabbed a nightgown. She slid the purple silk over her head and stood in front of him.

  “But, yes, I’ll walk you downstairs. The alarm pad is there, anyway,” she said with a wink.

  His fingers tangled with hers, and she almost took a step back. Settle down, settle down. It’s not like he tried to kiss you goodbye.

  They walked hand in hand to the stairs. The scene of the crime. His clothes would be in the entryway. Get him there now. Her heart was pounding like it used to as she waited for him to study together.

  But he didn’t pause at the landing, and released her hand when they reached the bottom step. Jessie leaned against the wall as she watched him get into his clothes. The sound of his zipper signaled the ending to their interlude.

  From there, they entered a whole new era of awkwardness. Situation number one they’d thankfully avoided. They both came.

  But now they were immersed in awkward situation number two. That first goodbye after sex, which could be accomplished with…

  That uncomfortable hug.

  The strange zeroing in on the cheek for a quick, impersonal brush of his lips.

  Or her personal nonfavorite, the halfhearted, “I’ll call you.”

  She cut him a glance. Cole didn’t appear ill at ease. In fact, he seemed darn confident as he strode toward her. Suddenly, her every nerve ending remembered the pleasure this man gave her, and wanted to experience it again. His finger was at her chin, and he lifted her face to look at him. Their gazes met. His thumb stroked her bottom lip, reawakening her senses. Her stomach tightened.

  Then he turned away and walked to her front door and left.

  Jessie’s jaw dropped. That was it? Fling rules forbid any kind of romantic goodbye, so Jessie didn’t need one. But still…

  COLE POUNDED ALONG THE dirt path on his sister’s farm. He should have been exhausted. After Jessie woke him, it had been nothing but one thing after another at the station. November was the important sweeps month. Doing the hard work now meant Just Between Us would continue attracting high numbers of viewers. The station manager could raise advertising rates. And that made station managers very happy.

  Cole hadn’t had time to think about Jessie. When he wasn’t managing the production of the show, he was going through his answers for the interrogatories Jenna had given to the group of lottery winners. He hated filling out the paperwork. The questions put him on the defensive, but more than that, the task reminded him of all he could lose if his ex-wife heard about the money. There’d be no question of whether Amber would return. If money was involved, she’d be there.

  Cole cursed under his breath and picked up his speed. The morning sun was filtering through the tall Georgia pines. The mornings were colder now, but he needed the exercise. Needed the quick pace to recharge himself.

  He spent most of his weekends at his sister’s place in the Georgia countryside, not too far from where they’d grown up. George was her second husband, but Annie always referred to him as the prize for putting up with her first. She’d been rewarded with a home, a great husband and a loving daughter. Janine was just one year older than his own girls. And a reason he’d kept the girls with his sister once school started.

  After Amber left him, he’d tried to make it work for the three of them in the city. When school let out for summer Annie had invited the girls to the farm to keep Janine company, and he visited on the weekends. The girls thrived in the open air, taking to the slower-paced country life easily.

  When school began in the fall, it just seemed natural to keep Susan and Schyler with Annie and George. The girls had made so many new friends and each of them had a dog.

  In Atlanta, he’d sold his condo and moved into a small apartment, saving every last penny so that he could buy a large enough house to bring them back home with him. It wasn’t the ideal situation, but so much of it made sense, too. If the lottery money—

  He cut off that train of thought, pushing himself faster. The money wasn’t his. And every day more of it was gone, tied up in either legal fees or court costs. If-onlys didn’t make things happen, and he’d lived with enough of Amber’s dreamy speculation to last a lifetime. It was ironic that he’d almost not played the lottery. His ex-wife had soured him on any game of chance by using rent money or grocery money or even the girls’ birthday money to finance one get-rich-quick scheme after another.

  Alone at college and away from everything he’d ever known he’d spotted Amber shelving books in the library. They’d both been given jobs there on the work-study program to pay for tuition. She was beautiful. Blond and blue-eyed, but more than that, he’d recognized someone as broken as he’d been. At nineteen he’d wanted someone to save. He’d certainly found that in Amber. No one would ever look upon him as the hero back home in Thrasher.

  His ex-wife just didn’t want to be saved.

  They’d been happy enough in the beginning. They were finally away from their troubled childhoods and just living in the moment. But a person could only live life like that for so long. And Amber, ultimately, never wanted to give up the fun and games and take on real responsibility.

  In the end he’d agreed to take on all her debt to get Amber out of their lives. Best decision he’d ever made. And in a lifetime of mistakes, he needed a choice that wasn’t tinged by regret.

  Jessie was a good choice. His body heated and he slowed his pace. The thought of her made him grow hard. He ached for her. He wanted her.

  And she wanted him, too. Those sexy little moans she made as she came. The thrust of her hips because she wanted more of him. He shuddered. Damn, it felt good.

  When he reached the porch, he took off his shoes, as was the custom when entering Annie’s house. Opening the back door that led into the kitchen, he was met with the scents of bacon and something sweet.

  “Something smells great,” he said.

  “There you are. I haven’t even seen you—” Annie turned from rinsing an apple at the sink, her expression changing from concerned to comical. “You’re smiling.” Then she gasped, “Oh, my God, you’ve finally gotten laid.”

  How was he supposed to know he was smiling? “I smile,” he said. Knowing he sounded defensive. Avoiding the hazel eyes so like his own.

  She waved her hand as if to ward off an attack. “Hey, I think it’s great you’re finally back in the game.”

  Great sex. Great woman. It only took him a year and a half to get back in that game. And he’d hit the jackpot.

  Annie pulled up a chair at the kitchen table and sat. “Tell me all about her.”

  No way was he going there. Besides, Annie knew Jessie. Everyone from their hometown knew the Huells. Annie would want to invite her for a visit. “It’s not like that. This is not…a relationship.”

  Annie stopped slicing her apple and looked up at him. Her eyes narrowed. “Uh-huh. Yeah.”

  “It’s a fling.”

  “Just a little rebound sex? Remember, I ended up married to my rebound man.” Her face softened, her lips curving into a smile.

  With George twelve years her senior, Annie hadn’t even bothered to mention him to Cole, thinking the relationship was going nowhere. Just someone to make her feel good about herself again. Cole finally managed to talk to the guy on the phone just before he and Annie were about to be married in Las Vegas.

  “How do you feel about her?” asked Annie.

  Well, if he knew he’d have to talk about his feelings, he’d have avoided Jessie altogether.

  No, he wouldn’t.

  The clock on the counter dinged. Annie stood. “Muffins are ready. You lucked out, Cole. Would you tell everyone to come downstairs and wash their hands? Oh, and by the way, your girls helped me make the pancake batter, so maybe you can say something about it.”

  He nodded, and once again was thankful for his sister’s interference in his life. Thankful, when it came to the girls, since he’d barely had a clue how to deal with tears, Barbies and dress-up princess costumes. The interference in his private life was new.


  Five minutes later, they were all seated around the kitchen table, laughing at one of Schyler’s stories. The youngest by three minutes, she liked to keep the family entertained. His heart swelled as he looked from Schyler to Susan. They were both blond, like their mother, but had his hazel eyes. And for two little girls who looked almost exactly alike, their personalities couldn’t have been more different.

  Schyler could make up stories about everything in the woods. She talked of fairies that brought dew to the leaves, what was really at the end of rainbows, and she loved to make her daddy laugh.

  Susan, although certainly not shy, preferred quieter pastimes. They’d go on long hikes in the woods. She was curious about everything—from how the moss grew on one side of a tree, to cooking over a fire.

  Cole took a bite of his breakfast. “Mmm, these pancakes are delicious. Did you make these, Annie?”

  “I couldn’t have done it without Susan and Schyler’s help.”

  “They’re really great, girls.” Something green suspended in the pancake caught his eye. Then he saw a bit of blue. And red. “What’s this colored stuff?”

  “Sprinkles,” the girls said in unison.

  Annie gave him a wink. “Sprinkles make everything better.”

  Cole ate another bite. Tasted like a regular pancake to him. Girls were just different. Great, but still different. Half the time it was as if he were raising a completely foreign species.

  Had they been boys, he would have had a better handle on how to deal with them. A son would not bring a miniature teacup filled with invisible tea for him to pretend to drink.

  Cole wouldn’t trade his girls for anything in this world, though. He wouldn’t even trade the pain Amber had caused, if it meant they’d never have been in his life.

  After breakfast cleanup, he and his girls spent the rest of the day together, hiking and looking for birds and other critters. One weekend, they’d taken the small boat out, patching several small holes first. He wanted the girls to learn how to fix things on their own. Be independent and never have to rely on anyone else. Except their daddy. They could always come to him.