Resisting Her (16 page)

“I’d like to work with children. Perhaps
babysitting, or maybe at a daycare center.”

“That’s a great idea.” Cole was surprised how
easily the conversation had gone. Maybe Savannah was ready for
more, stronger than he had given her credit for. He headed into his
bedroom to continue getting ready for work, feeling somehow uneasy
about the conversation they just had.

***

As much as Savannah wanted to admit she was
just as unaffected by Cole as he seemed by her, she couldn’t.
Especially since watching him with that other woman had shattered
her heart into a million tiny pieces. She had stupidly started to
fall for him, his gentle affections, his caring nature, his strong
work ethic, all of him And ever since she watched him make love to
the other girl, her body had joined forces with her heart, the ache
now all-encompassing, possessing her from the inside out.

She missed him when he was at work. Missed
his scent, his warmth and just having someone else to share little
things with. Like when Cuddles jumped up on the couch for the first
time—confused at how she’d gotten up there—or when she finally
mastered the recipe for her favorite pie that her friend Melody
used to make for her.

She practically mauled him when he got home
from work, desperate for contact and attention. And he always
allowed it, but never encouraged anything further between them.
Savannah knew it was time for her to find a job — to have something
to devote her time and attention to that would be worthwhile,
rather than mothering Cole to death. Though he never
complained.

But even as she planned the future, she
couldn’t keep her thoughts from wandering to Cole. The way his dark
intense eyes felt on her skin, his casual brushes of contact…she
doubted he had any idea how insane they made her. The way he smiled
when he took the first bite of a meal she’d cooked, the way he
looked with his shirt sleeves rolled up when he got home from work.
She found just about everything he did sexy. And don’t get her
started on his scent when he arrived home from the gym, skin
glistening, and gym shorts hanging loose on his hips. It took every
ounce of strength she possessed not to jump him.

She’d never had feelings like this before—not
about anyone—and had finally mustered up to the courage to talk to
her therapist about it last week. He’d assured her that her
feelings for the opposite sex were entirely normal and to be
expected, living in close quarters with someone she was attracted
to. But he’d cautioned her about getting involved with Cole, saying
that if he didn’t return her feelings, Savannah would get hurt.

Savannah had laid herself bare for Cole and
little good it had done. Sure he had been tempted enough to kiss
her in all the right spots until she dissolved into pleasure, but
then he’d pulled her panties into place and left like nothing had
happened between them. It seemed like nothing she did made him see
her like a woman. He still saw that scared, life-weary girl he’d
rescued. When he’d finally kissed her—a full, sensuous open-mouthed
kiss—she could tell it affected him, yet he wouldn’t let himself go
there with her. She’d briefly wondered if perhaps he was gay, but
she knew he took simple pleasures from their contact, even if that
was all it was — the warmth of another body. So she’d gone on the
date with Levi, and then this morning she’d talked to Cole about
getting a driver’s license and her own job. It was time to think
about her future, as scary as that might be. And not just because
it meant relying only on herself, but because the thought of being
away from Cole felt like a loss she couldn’t handle. She’d been
falling for him since that first moment she’d seen him—weapon
drawn, and his dark, intelligent eyes swept the room where she
hid.

When Cole left for work that morning, she
cleaned the kitchen, polished the black granite countertops, and
then positioned herself at the dining room table with his laptop.
She began looking for jobs and researching the cost of apartments.
It was time to make a plan for herself. She couldn’t rely on Cole’s
generosity forever.

Cole thought yoga was supposed to relax you,
which was why he couldn’t understand why Savannah had come home
madder than a hornet’s nest.

She tossed her yoga mat in the front closet,
and then retreated to the kitchen. Cole had figured she would have
joined him in the living room to tell him all about it, talking in
her excited way whenever she had a new experience. He glanced at
his watch. Dinnertime…maybe she was anxious to begin cooking. But
it didn’t sound like she was cooking so much as punishing the
dishes.

“Savannah?” Cole rounded the corner to the
kitchen, where the sound of clattering pots and pans was starting
to alarm him.

“What?” she turned briskly, holding a large
chef’s knife in her hand.

“Whoa.” He held up his hands. “I just wanted
to see how yoga went.”

She narrowed her eyes, refusing to lower the
knife. “Fine,” she bit out in a clipped tone.

He took a step back. “Did, ah, something
happen?” His brows knitted together in concern.

“Nope.” She slashed through a ripe tomato
with such force, a spray of seeds and juice misted the
countertop.

“You sure?” He dared a step closer. “Did you
have…fun?”

She was still dressed for a work out, a pair
of skin tight black pants hugging her ass in the most distracting
way. God bless whoever invented yoga pants. Her little white tank
was riding up, exposing a strip of her narrow waist and lower back.
Visions of caressing that ass in his palms, along with memories of
the way her skin tasted, danced through his subconscious.

Dear God he wanted her.

Bad.

He’d been trying to avoid being alone with
her ever since he’d surrendered and brought her pleasure. As much
as he wanted a repeat, he hadn’t dared give in. All this past week,
he worked late, hit the gym after work, went to Liam’s pub for a
drink, then came home and slipped into bed while she was sleeping.
Of course, that hadn’t stopped her from curling her body around
his, releasing a happy little sigh against his chest, or pulling
his arm around her so they could spoon. She certainly wasn’t shy
about taking what she needed in terms of physical affection, but
neither had actually communicated about their
relationship
,
or whatever this thing was between them.

She dropped the knife, letting it clatter
against the cutting board, her task momentarily forgotten. “Fun?
Hmm, let’s see. Was it fun to see the girl you brought home
twisting her body into impossible poses for ninety minutes? No. I
don’t suppose it was.”

“Savannah.” His tone was sharp and she met
his eyes.

“What Cole? What?”

He swallowed and tested the ground between
them by taking another step closer. “First, give me the knife.” His
grip closed around her wrist and with his free hand, he slid the
knife further away from her, just in case. He’d never seen her so
worked up. They were standing just inches apart and Cole could feel
the heat of her skin radiating off her. He could smell the sweet
floral notes of her shampoo assaulting his resolve. He imagined
leaning in and possessing her mouth in a kiss. He wanted to feel
her full lips part for him, accept him, and remembering the way her
little soft tongue rubbed against his made his balls ache. But even
as he processed all this, in just two-heartbeat’s time, he knew he
wouldn’t kiss her. Instead he squeezed his eyes closed, willing his
hard-on to relent. “Tell me what’s really bothering you.”

***

Savannah looked down, at war with herself
over what to say next. What could she say to the man who made her
feel so cared for one minute and so furious the next. She didn’t
want to seem ungrateful, but something had to give between them.
She needed to understand what was running through his head. She’d
struggled through that night’s yoga lesson, hating that she had to
watch the instructor he’d slept with move her lithe body in all
sorts of positions. Why did he bring her home, bring her here to
live with him in the first place? Why go through all this trouble
if he didn’t really want her? “If you don’t want me— why didn’t you
just leave me where I was?” She looked down, unable to meet his
eyes, yet desperately seeking a reaction.

“Left you there? Are you crazy? That asshole
Jacob was a whackjob. You should be thanking me for getting you out
of there.”

“Thanking you for tearing apart the only
family I knew? For bringing me here where I can do nothing but sit
and worry and reflect on everything I lost?” A silent tear
skittered down her cheek before the back of her hand caught it.

“I
had
to get you out of there, and I
don’t regret bringing you here either.” He sighed. “I know there
must be things…people you miss.”

She swallowed a lump in her throat, a new
rush of emotion washing over her. “I was this close to having
Calista potty trained.” She held her fingers an inch apart. She
missed that feisty two-year-old with a mass of untamed blond curls.
“She called me Vannah since she couldn’t say my name. And Melody,
the oldest member, was my only source of sanity. She was the only
one who could get Jacob to see reason. Her blackberry pie was my
favorite. I had this theory that her pie alone could solve most of
the world’s problems.”

Cole smiled and took her hand. “I remember
reading about Melody in the case file. She’s living with her adult
daughter in Denver now.”

Savannah’s heart jumped in her chest. Melody
and her daughter had a falling out years ago. She was happy to hear
they were reunited. She knew everyone was going on with their
lives, and she needed to as well. But it was just so hard. She
hated not knowing what would come next for her and Cole.

She stared defiantly at him, urging him to
say something, anything that might explain what was happening
between them, but he remained silent, his expression weary and
unsure.

***

At a loss for what to say to comfort
Savannah, Cole dropped his gaze and rubbed a hand along the back of
his neck. “Go shower. I’ll order out for dinner tonight.” He
released her and Savannah stumbled away on seemingly shaky legs
—from the yoga workout or from the desire escalating between them,
he wasn’t sure.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his
frazzled nerves. If things got any more heated, he’d erupt in
flames. He dug out his cell phone and called in an order for
Chinese food.

When Cole got in bed that night, Cuddles was
sprawled out in the middle. He couldn’t help but wonder if Savannah
had placed the dog in bed to create a physical between them. He
lifted the sheet and pulled the comforter toward him, being none to
gentle about disturbing the dog. Part of him hoped the damn thing
would saunter back into its kennel in the guest room where it
usually slept. The beast was a little cock-block.

The next few weeks passed by in the same sort
of careful avoidance. They continued to sleep together in Cole’s
bed each night, but other than the cuddling, nothing physical had
happened. Cole was sure Savannah had no idea how badly he wanted
her; especially when she walked that fine little panty-clad ass
around in front of him, or emerged from his bathroom only wearing a
towel, still damp and pink from the shower. It took every ounce of
self-control he possessed not to pick her up, strip her of the
towel, and pound into her again and again until he came.

The littlest things were starting to set him
off and he was pleasuring himself more than he had since he was a
teenager Yet it brought little relief to the pent up desire he
harbored for her. But he wouldn’t fuck her. She deserved so much
more than he was prepared to offer.

Even with the daily temptations, the weeks
had passed by quickly. Savannah had graduated from her driving
course, and last Saturday he’d taken her to get her license.

After picking out a car for Savannah — a year
old silver sedan that he was able to negotiate down in price—Cole
signed the paperwork and wrote out a check for the down-payment.
The car was nothing fancy, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at
Savannah. After finishing up inside, he found her still sitting in
the driver’s seat, inspecting every inch of the car — flipping on
the headlights, opening and closing the various compartments as if
it was the most magnificent thing she’d ever seen.

She peered at Cole as he approached the open
driver’s side door. “Do you like it?” he asked, even though it was
obvious she did.

“I don’t just like it. This is love.” She ran
her hand gently across the dash.

“Good. Because you’ve got to drive it
home.”

Her eyes filled with gratitude and she
nodded. “Can we stop on the way home and go out to lunch? Sort of a
mini celebration?”

Cole glanced at his watch. “Actually…I have
somewhere I need to go.”

She frowned and fiddled with the keys. “Oh,
right…it’s Sunday.”

He nodded wordlessly, his mouth going dry.
He’d been waiting for her to ask about where he went every Sunday,
but so far she hadn’t. And there was no way he was offering that
information up voluntarily. Savannah didn’t say anything else; she
just pulled the door closed of her little silver sedan and started
the engine.

Cole climbed into his SUV and adjusted his
rear-view mirror so he could look back at Savannah. She looked so
small sitting in the car, her head poking above the steering wheel.
A pang of nervous panic hit him like a wave. He would figure all
this out. He had to. But first he needed to go see his ex. He
gripped the steering wheel and left the parking lot.

Savannah slipped out of bed, leaving Cole to
sleep a little longer. He looked so at ease when he slept, so
carefree, she couldn’t bring herself to wake him even though he was
already running late for work.