Second Chance (28 page)

“I’m sorry about your parents.”

“Thank you.”

“How long were you a teacher?”

He dropped into a chair across from her. “Counting my internship in college, about seven years.”

“Was your wife a teacher, too?”

“Sort of … she was a stay-at-home mom.” His mouth twisted in a bitter smile. “Jill’s degree was in criminal justice. After college she wanted to go into law enforcement. I convinced her it was too dangerous, too risky. We moved to Dallas so I could teach in a larger school system. That way I could make more money and she could stay at home with Cassidy.” His face darkened. “Hell of a note that she ended up getting killed because of my non-dangerous job.”

Keeley hurt for him. Life was so damn unfair sometimes.

“Tell me about Cassidy.”

She instantly regretted asking. The stark pain she saw in his eyes was a reflection of what she saw in hers each time she looked in the mirror. Only she still had hope. Cole didn’t even have that.

Unable to see his pain without doing something to comfort him, Keeley slid from her chair and went to her knees in front of him. “If it’s too painful, you don’t—”

“Sorry. I should be able to talk about her … I need
to be able to talk about her.” He took a breath. “What can I say but that she was the light of my life. The light of our lives. She had the kind of young, innocent curiosity that made me want to talk with her for hours. Her favorite thing was story time. She used to make up stories for us and keep us in stitches.”

“She sounds like a beautiful child. Do you have pictures of her?”

Cole shook his head. “Not on me. I have some back home in Tampa.”

“Tell me about Jill.”

“She was funny and smart.” He smiled. “Much smarter than me.”

“Where did you meet?”

“Grammar school. First grade … first day of school. She spilled her milk at lunchtime and I gave her mine. We were best friends from then on. We didn’t date until our senior year.”

“Why not?”

“I think we were too busy being best friends to see each other as anything else.”

“What made the change?”

“She got her heart bruised by a friend of mine. I comforted her, but realized how glad I was that they weren’t together anymore. Somehow she saw me differently, too.”

“What was she like?”

Cole closed his eyes as he tried to remember the woman he’d forgotten for months while in captivity. He’d seen photographs of her, recalled some events, but the majority of his memories were still sketchy and probably always would be. “She had vibrant auburn hair, green eyes, and a beautiful smile.”

“You just described Shea.”

Time for a small confession. “Shea’s my ex-wife.”

“What?”

He chuckled at her astonishment. It felt good to be able to laugh about his stupidity. “Long story short … Ethan, Shea, and I were friends. Ethan acted like an ass back then and I was looking for someone to take care of. Ethan broke it off with her and Shea was going through a bad time.”

“So Mr. Knight in Shining Armor came in and rescued the damsel in distress?”

“Something like that. We both realized it was a mistake and ended up having it annulled.”

“I’ll bet that made things slightly awkward between you and Ethan.”

Cole winced. That was one memory he’d just as soon not have. Seeing Ethan’s hurt had been hard to take, but his acceptance of the marriage had been even harder. The idiot had believed Shea was better off with Cole. “‘Slightly awkward’ would be an understatement. Though we did our best to hide it, since we still worked ops together.”

“How did Ethan and Shea finally get it right?”

They were headed in a direction best kept for another day. After his conversation with his former mother-in-law, Keeley’s warmhearted compassion had already made him share things he hadn’t thought of or talked about in years. Telling her anything more would lead to an area he couldn’t yet discuss.

He shrugged and gave a vague answer, hoping she’d let it go. “They both came to their senses.”

There were questions in her eyes, but she seemed to sense he didn’t want to talk about it any longer. There would be a time he’d have to tell her everything. Now wasn’t that time.

“How’s Hannah?”

She stood and began walking around the room as if
she was suddenly nervous. “Enjoying herself.” She laughed. “That kid is amazing. Give her a snack and a few fairy tales and she’s content.”

“And how are you doing?”

“Feeling violated, on top of everything else. The one place I thought I had some privacy was in my own home. Now to know that whoever this person is planned this so well that they could actually install a camera or cameras to record my pain …” She stopped pacing for a second and looked at him. “And it’s apparently someone who knew Stephen, too.”

And that made him even more suspicious that the two abductions were related in some way. Had the same person who’d commissioned Stephen’s abduction also arranged for the children’s kidnapping?

“Since the house is so large, we won’t know for a couple of days the extent of the bugging. Who has access to your house?”

“Very few people. Everyone who does is someone I’d trust with my life.”

“How old is the house?”

“About six years old.” Her eyes widened. “Wait. I had a plumbing problem last year. It took almost two weeks for them to get everything fixed. The girls and I stayed with Jenna while they were making repairs. I’m sure there were all sorts of people coming in and out of the house. Any of them could have put in cameras.”

Hell, she was right. The list had just grown larger.

“Give me the names of the contractors. If more cameras are found, I’ll contact them and see what we can come up with.”

She nodded and then dropped down onto the bed. Everything inside Cole went still except for the one body part that went on high alert anytime Keeley was near. Did she realize where she was sitting? He’d been
dying to get her back in bed for weeks. Now that’s where she was and it was taking all of his considerable willpower not to join her.

“Cole, do you find me attractive?”

He almost glared at her. What the hell did she think the rigid bulge in his pants meant? And what did she think the incredible sexual encounter they’d had in her bedroom was all about? Not to mention all those kisses they’d shared, orgasm included. Did she think he reacted that way to just anybody? Hell yeah, he found her attractive … more than just attractive. But there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

He could have told her that and a whole lot more. Instead he said simply, “Yes.”

She wrapped her arms around herself in a defensive, self-conscious movement. “I didn’t date in school…. Stephen is the only man I’ve ever been with, until you.” A blush, bright red and almost painful to look at, covered her face. She was obviously embarrassed by what she was saying, but for some reason she forged on. “But he didn’t … I rarely …” She swallowed convulsively. “I guess what I’m trying to say—and very badly at that—is—until you—until we—that night we—I’ve never really enjoyed—” She broke off, unable to finish.

Holy hell, what was he supposed to do now? He wanted this woman with every fiber of his being, and from what he could tell, she was, in an awkward but incredibly sweet way, telling him she wanted to have sex with him again.

“I know I’m not really the type to attract men in that way, but—”

He jerked at the most ridiculous statement he’d ever heard. “What the hell are you talking about?”

She jumped to her feet. “I’m sorry I brought it up. I’ll go now.”

Cole moved in front of her to block her exit. No way
could he let her out of this room now. She looked hurt and humiliated.

Unable to keep from touching her, he lightly caressed her arm. “Keeley, you are one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever known, inside and out. How in hell could you believe that you’re not attractive?”

Her eyes glittered with uncertainty. “I’m too big.”

“Too big where?”

“I’m too tall, my hips are too wide, and my breasts are too large.”

Cole snorted his disgust. “Says who?”

“All sorts of people.”

Fury built inside him. “You mean Stephen?”

She shrugged defensively. “Not just Stephen, though he liked to encourage me to run as much as possible since I have a tendency to gain weight if I don’t stay active. But guys used to make comments all the time. And the girls were even worse.”

“Let me tell you a little something about people, Keeley. Guys for one … when they make crude and cruel comments, it usually means one thing: they’re attracted but know they don’t have a chance in hell. Women … it’s pure jealousy, nothing more.”

“But Stephen—”

“You said yourself that Stephen was a spoiled child in a man’s body. He got what he wanted, but didn’t know how to appreciate the gift.”

“Stephen was constantly encouraging me to lose weight. If I exercise and eat right, I can keep my weight off, but when I got pregnant, I was sick a lot and couldn’t work out. I gained weight. Stephen liked my body even less when I was pregnant.”

Cole couldn’t be glad the bastard was dead, but he could wish him alive so he could beat the shit out of him. How could a man with any kind of intellect at all
think about treating his wife that way? Especially someone as beautiful and special as Keeley?

“He was an idiot. And you deserved someone a whole lot better.”

“Make love to me, Cole.”

Aw hell
.

She was biting her lower lip in nervousness and he wanted to join her. More than anything right now, he wanted to hold this beautiful woman in his arms and show her how wonderful she was and how she deserved the very best. But he was the very worst person to even be around her, much less make love to her.

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“You’re vulnerable right now and I won’t take advantage of that.”

She tried for a teasing grin but he saw the fear in her face—fear of his rejection. But what choice did he have?

“I’d be taking advantage of you, too. I’m not asking for promises. But we’re attracted to each other. We’re adults. We’re both single. And we both have known loss.”

His mouth tilted in amusement. “So basically it’d be mutual pity sex.”

A surprisingly sultry smile replaced the fear as her expression became one of knowing. Not that it’d take a genius for her to know he was turned on. The obvious bulge in his pants sure as hell wasn’t his gun.

“Not pity sex. More like spectacular sex between two people who are very attracted to each other. I haven’t stopped thinking about that night. How wonderful it was.”

Her eyes were filled with desire and vulnerability. It had taken a lot of courage for her to make this offer. And in that moment, all the reasons he shouldn’t be
with this beautiful woman vanished. With a low growl of need, Cole pulled her into his arms.

Inches from her mouth, he stopped. If he was going to do this, then he’d damn well do it right this time. His eyes holding hers, he lowered his mouth to her luscious lips and feathered a soft, slow kiss. Relearning her textures, her flavors. She tasted better than he remembered, better than he had dreamed.

With a soft, sweet moan, she opened her mouth and Cole lost his sanity. He plunged in. He went harder, was ready for her in an instant … wanted to push her back on the bed, strip her clothes off, and taste every sweet, curvy inch of her.

Their hands seemed to want to be everywhere at once. She pulled at the buttons on his shirt as his hands glided down her body and went under her shirt. The second his fingers touched soft, silky flesh, he pulled away. This he needed to see to experience. He opened each button slowly, then slid her shirt off and dropped it on the floor. The catch in his breath wasn’t something he could control. Her white lace bra covered her breasts with an old-fashioned modesty. His hands literally shaking, he unhooked the front clasp and uncovered beauty.

He swallowed hard. “Keeley, you’re perfect.” The words sounded as if they were torn from his lungs.

“Really?”

Aroused to the point of explosion, he still recognized the insecurity and wonder in her question. And despite the desire hammering at him to get her naked and himself inside her as soon as possible, Cole took the heat down a notch. Their experience before, though hot and wild, had been about comfort. Tonight was different. Tonight he would savor.

This beautiful woman had never known the touch of a real lover. A man who could and would appreciate and cherish every sigh she gave and every peak she
reached. If he did nothing else for Keeley tonight, she would leave this room assured that she was a beautiful, desirable woman.

Pulling away, he turned her gently around to face the full-length mirror attached to the door.

Her eyes wide with fear, she stiffened and tried to pull away from him. “Cole. No.”

His arms locked around her, he held her still and pressed a kiss to her soft, silky bare shoulder. “Yes, sweetheart. I’m going to show you what I see when I look at you.”

Ignoring the trepidation in her expressive face wasn’t easy, but he had to give this woman the knowledge of what she did to him. Probably did to just about every man who came in contact with her.

Pulling her bra off her shoulders, he let it fall to the floor. His hands cupped her breasts, the generous mounds almost overflowing his big hands. His eyes on the beauty in front of him, he leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Do you know what I see when I look at your beautiful breasts?”

She shook her head.

“Art in its purest form.” He rubbed his thumbs against her nipples and delighted in her gasping sigh. “Sweetheart, your breasts are beautiful.” He pinched the nipples lightly and enjoyed another gasping sigh. “My mouth waters from wanting to taste them, lick them, suck them.”

Her eyes fluttered closed.

“Open your eyes, Keeley. See the beauty I see.”

She opened her eyes again and he watched her expressive face as his hands left her breasts and drifted lower. Her warm skin felt soft, firm, resilient under his gliding hands. Encircling her waist, he gently bit the lobe of her ear and growled, “Unzip your jeans.”