Bad Girl Therapy (7 page)

He held her tight, so tight it was difficult to catch her breath. He stayed on top of her for a long time, warm contentment curling around them. After a long while, he slid down beside her. She drew a satisfied breath and melted into him, surprised at how natural it felt to be with him like this.

After a long while, Cole broke the silence, and there was no awkwardness between them, such as she was accustomed to after casual sex, when he said, “I love the way your body reacts to me, sweetheart.”

“So do I,” she answered honestly, and she wasn’t sure what compelled her to add, “I’ve never reacted to anyone the way I reacted to you,” but she said it anyway.

He propped himself up on one elbow and lightly trailed his finger over her flesh, circling her nipples and brushing the undersides of her breasts. “Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

He frowned. “That’s because all the guys you date are assholes.”

Her head jerked back. “How do you know what kind of guys I date? And how do you know they’re all assholes?”

He gave an easy shrug. “I’ve seen them, and I’ve seen the way they pay more attention to their little electronic devices than they do you. In my book, any guy who doesn’t give you the attention you deserve is an asshole.”

Okay, so she couldn’t dispute it. None of those guys were sensitive to her wants and needs, not in the way Cole was. And the truth was, she couldn’t ignore the heat and intimacy between them, nor could she dispute the fact that Cole touched her in places so deep she thought she’d died and gone to heaven.

Despite her sexual contentment, and the way she felt so completely relaxed in his arms, a nervous sensation began brewing in her belly. She didn’t need to examine it deeper to know the source. Because the source was lying next to her, and despite her vow to keep this weekend about sex, deep in her heart she knew she was falling for him.

Chapter Five

The sound of birds chirping combined with the warm ribbons of early morning light filtering in through the small boathouse window pulled Cole from his slumber. He stretched, and as wild and wicked memories of last night came rushing back, he glanced at the beautiful woman sleeping in his arms.

He smiled and brushed her mussed hair from her face, hardly able to believe how amazing they were together. She’d come here to play, he knew that, but after the intimacies they’d shared he wondered, despite the fact that he was different from the guys this good girl normally dated, if she could possibly see a future with him.

Cole thought of his mother and father and the house he’d bought for them but they refused to move into. Money didn’t buy love or happiness, his mother had said, insisting they were content in the small house they’d raised their kids in, a house on the wrong side of the tracks.

Cole might not run in Haley’s social circles, and while he was a successful soccer star with a respectable salary, he wondered if she could love the poor boy beneath the soccer jersey. Because that was who he was and who he’d always be. And the truth was, he liked that guy.

“Good morning,” she said.

He’d been so lost in thought he hadn’t realized she was staring at him. As his glance moved over her face, his breath caught. She was sexy, generous and the most beautiful woman he’d ever met, and the things she did to him—for him—made his chest tighten with emotion. Who knew that beneath her good-girl image she was a real tigress? Which made him wonder, why the act?

“Sleep well?” he asked.

She twisted, her body molding against his. “Surprisingly well, considering all the lumps in this sofa. You?”

“I slept fine.” He trailed his index finger over her breasts. “And these are the only lumps I noticed.”

Chuckling, she stretched and asked, “What are your plans for today?”

“I have some repairs to do to the cabin. How about you?”

“Well…I do have to take some pictures of you, and I wouldn’t mind helping you with the repairs.”

His brow furrowed. “Really?”

“Sure, why not?”

“You know how to wield a hammer?” he asked, skeptical.

“Like I said, there are a lot of things about me you don’t know.”

“So you
do
know how to wield a hammer, then?”

She laughed and said, “Well, no. You were right about that.”

Cole laughed with her and drew her in for a good-morning kiss.

The sound of the others swimming caught their attention. “Want to join them?” Cole asked.

“Sure, and it will be good for your leg.”

Cole smiled, appreciating that she was still thinking of his recovery. She really was a magnificent woman.

Ten minutes later they were in the cold water with their friends, and while he and the other two guys swam way out, the girls stayed near the edge. He could see them huddled together, and Cole could only guess that, after their Houdini act last night, Haley’s friends would want the details.

After a vigorous swim to work the body and clear the mind, the guys returned, and they all made their way back to the cabin for breakfast. Once the food was eaten and the dishes done, the couples all broke off on their own, and Cole found himself alone in the cabin with Haley.

She planted her hands on her hips and looked around. “So where do we start? What needs to be done?”

He pointed to the ceiling. “Up there. I need to replace a few shingles.”

She frowned and glanced at his leg. “I don’t like the idea of you climbing up there.”

Warmth moved through him, and he loved how she was always thinking about his well being. “It’s okay. I know what I’m doing. Besides, I promise to ice it later.”

“Okay, but if it swells, I’ll throw you over my shoulder and haul you off there myself.”

Cole grabbed a tool belt from the small kitchen closet and stepped up behind her to wrap it around her waist. “You sure you want to do this? Wouldn’t you rather lounge in the sun?”

“Nope.”

“All right, then. After the roof repairs, I have to work on the kitchen sink. We have a leak.” He circled her and stepped back to look her over. Grinning, he said, “I’ve never seen anyone make a tool belt look sexy before.”

She grabbed her camera as her glance panned over him. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

Twenty minutes later they were both on the roof, and he gave Haley the task of handing him nails, just so she could feel useful, because really, it was a one-man job.

“The view is gorgeous from up here,” Haley said. She peered out over the ocean. “I think I see your brothers on their boat.”

“They’re soaking up as much sun as they can before they head off to college.”

“You must be proud of them.”

“I am.”

Haley snapped a picture. “They must all be so proud of you.”

“I guess so.”

“Oh, come on, Cole. You have a million adorning fans and the whole town of Beachville loves you.”

Maybe, but there really was only one person in the town of Beachville that he wanted to love him, and she was sitting next to him. And for the first time in his life, he had a feeling he just might be able to get what he had always wanted.

“Why do you think you were picked for the charity calendar? You’re a hero.”

“My job is important to me, but playing a professional sport doesn’t make me a hero.”

“No, but visiting the hospital for sick children, doing a charity calendar and working hard to make something of yourself so you can take care of your family does.”

He wiped his brow and gestured with a nod for another nail.

“I know why your job is important to you, Cole. Which is why I take the responsibility of caring for your leg and getting you properly conditioned for the upcoming season very seriously.”

“You do take your job very seriously, don’t you?” He winked and added, “So much so that you’ve subjected yourself to a weekend with me, here in the middle of nowhere.”

She scrunched her nose. “I’m actually enjoying this little getaway, because after this weekend, I won’t have too many free ones.”

“Why?”

“I’m finally up for the promotion I’ve been after, and I’ll be working and studying like crazy.”

When he lifted his hammer, Haley snapped another picture. Before the heat of the day became too intense, he finished hammering down the new shingles, and then the two of them made their way inside, out of the blazing sun.

He grabbed two drinks from the fridge as Haley moved about the room, examining all the pictures. “I love this one of your mom and dad.” A long thoughtful pause and then, “After all these years they still look like they’re in love.”

Cole stepped up to her. “They are.” When he saw a deep sadness move over her face he asked, “What?”

She shrugged. “Nothing.”

“Haley, what is it?”

“It’s just that, well, my parents barely tolerate each other.”

Okay, that took him by surprise. “I never would have guessed. I see them on the news all the time, and they come off as a very loving couple.”

“It’s an act,” she admitted. “The truth is they have a loveless marriage, but because of who they are they have an image to uphold.”

She looked introspective as she examined the photo, and when the sadness on her face deepened, something very important occurred to him. Haley, too, had an image to uphold, which was why she’d always portrayed the good girl. He suspected that this weekend she’d shown him a side of herself that she rarely, if ever, showed another.

She ran her finger over the frame, and the hitch in her voice spoke volumes when she said, “I love this one of you and your dad.”

“I take it you’re not close to yours.”

“No.” The sorrow in that one word had his heart going out to her, and his feelings instantly deepened for her. “The Joneses aren’t good with relationships, which is why we avoid them.”

He pulled her to him, loving that she trusted him enough to share something so personal, something so heartfelt.

His mind raced. Was that why she wanted the upper hand this weekend? So she could keep it about sex and keep her emotions out of it? All because her parents’ loveless marriage soured her so much she wasn’t willing to try?

Damned if he was about to let her do that.

“Relationships take work. And those involved both have to be willing to put the work in.” He took the pictures from her and set them back on the table. “Believe me, my parents have had their fair share of arguments over the years, but their love is true. They’re happy together, Haley. Really happy. Look at the picture. You can see it in their eyes.”

Haley swallowed, and he could hear a hint of hope in her voice when she asked, “Does such love really exist?”

“My parents are proof that it does.”

She smiled. “That’s so nice.”

“You know what else is nice?” he asked, wanting to help lighten her mood.

“What’s that?”

Wanting to pull a laugh from her, he shimmied his pants lower on his hips until he exposed the top of his ass. “Me playing plumber. Now come on. We have a sink to repair.”

Haley laughed out loud and Cole grinned. He gathered her hand in his to guide her to the kitchen. After they repaired the sink, they went for a hike, and Haley took tons of pictures, although they both knew none of them would end up in the calendar, but she seemed to like shooting him just the same. After their hike they made their way to the water, and with no one else in sight, no distractions for miles, Cole took that opportunity to make sweet, passionate love to her on the dock.

They spent the rest of the day hanging out, talking and laughing and just being comfortable with each other. When night approached, and they all gathered for a meal, Cole knew she’d come to mean so much to him, and deep in his heart he knew what was between them went well beyond sex.

Once the dishes were cleared, Allison produced the board game, but when he turned and caught the mischievous gleam in Haley’s eyes, he quirked a questioning brow.

“I’d rather just go watch a movie,” she admitted.

“We don’t have a TV.”

“I have my laptop.”

Cole angled his head. “What are you up to?”

“Come find out.”

When he rose from the table, hoots of laughter could be heard from the other four before they turned their attention back to the game.

Haley grabbed her camera equipment and led Cole to the boathouse. Once inside, she set her laptop up on the bench and snuggled down next to him on the sofa.

He groaned. “You’re not going to make me watch a chick flick, are you?”

Heat danced in her eyes. “Not exactly.”

Cole stared at the computer monitor with curiosity, and a moment later his jaw dropped. “Jesus, Haley,” he said, his cock growing as he watched the two of them making love on the screen. “How? When?”

“Well, I taped us this afternoon, down at the dock.”

“Haley,” he began, suddenly uncomfortable. “If this ever got out, it could ruin me.”

“Me too,” she said.

He looked at her long and hard and didn’t miss the implications in what she was doing. It occurred to him that putting herself on camera with him was show of trust on her part, and it touched him that she trusted him enough to know he’d never use it against her.