Jake hesitates then glances at Savi, who seems to be slowly coming around. “Are you all right?”
Cole knows Jake is just looking out for her, and he respects that, but he needs to leave now. “I’ve got it.”
“It’s okay, Jake, thank you.” She stands, wavering a bit. She sends him a small smile to reassure him. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Jake nods, closing the door behind him. Cole removes his wet boots and jacket, taking in Savannah’s new place. He doesn’t miss the makeshift bed on the couch or the box of tissues next to it. He bends and picks up the little Army bear that had fallen on the floor, tucking it under the covers and feeling his stomach twist a little.
Following the sound of the water running in the bathroom, he pushes open the door to find Savannah scrunched down in the steaming tub. Her hair is pulled up into a messy bun with a few pieces framing her face. Eyes tightly closed, she leans her head back and takes a shaky breath. Cole leans against the counter, legs and arms crossed, and watches her pale face slowly returning to its normal color.
“So, what happened, Savi?” His voice is low.
She keeps her eyes closed as she speaks. “Thank you for coming and bringing me home, Cole, but you don’t have to stay.”
“I want to stay. Now, what happened back at the mall?”
Her chin starts to quiver, and he can’t help moving to her side, needing to touch her. He bends down behind her head and starts gently massaging her shoulders. The moment his hands slide over her smooth skin, he feels the mood shift.
Leaning forward so his lips hover above her ear, he whispers, “Savi, tell me what happened back there. Please talk to me, baby.” He wants so much to tell her how he really feels and what he would like to do to her right now, but he’s afraid of her pulling back from him even more. He doesn’t want her to think it’s all sex between them; he loves her so much more than that. How can he explain to her that she means more to him than anything on earth? He can feel her heart beating under his hands and realizes she is holding her breath.
Suddenly, she moves forward, reaching for the plug, then steps out and wraps a towel around herself. He follows her out to the living room where she hands him his jacket, not making eye contact.
“Are you kicking me out?” he asks, not taking his jacket.
“Like I said, thank you for helping me, but you can go now. I’m sure you have lots to do.” She reaches to unlock the door, but he stops her. “Cole, please.”
“Please what?” His hand slides down the door, meeting hers. Her hand shoots to her towel, holding it tighter around her front. “Please leave so you can crawl onto the couch and not sleep another night? Have you slept at all since Keith got switched to night duty?” She sneaks a glance at her couch. “I hate that you won’t look at me.” Her gaze slowly travels up his body, leaving a hot trail until she meets his eyes. “Don’t shut me out. I won’t let you.”
“I’m not!” she snaps, suddenly fuming with anger.
“Don’t lie to me, Savi!” he snaps back.
“I’m n—”
He takes a step toward her and wraps both hands around her face. He slams his lips into hers, not caring about holding back. She pushes him away but squeaks when one hand moves the towel open and slides down her stomach and between her legs. Just as he suspected, she’s ready. No matter what’s going on between them, they can never deny their sexual attraction for one another.
Her hands fly out, undoing his belt and tugging down his pants, and all the while his tongue is showing her what he wants to be doing. He backs her into the kitchen as he kicks away his pants and loses his shirt. She stiffens when he lowers her onto the cold countertop and slips two fingers into her. She grabs for his erection and runs her small hands around, matching what his fingers are doing to her.
“I need to be in you,” he whispers into her lips, not caring how desperate it sounds. It’s the truth. She spreads her legs farther as she guides him in. He sucks in a sharp breath as he tries to remember to stand. Once he’s fully in, he still holds her around her waist with one hand while running his other fingertips along her slender neck, tipping her up to look at him. He leans down and brushes his lips over hers. They both have so much to say but can’t seem to find the words.
“Lean back,” he orders. She complies, holding his gaze as she does. He grips her thighs and brings her closer to the edge of the counter. His gaze rakes over her body, seeing how perfect it is. The color of her skin looks like honey, her dark hair swirling around her sexy face. The best part of this angle is her eyes. They drag him into the hot, dark pools that seem to deepen in color when he’s near. He flicks forward and he rotates his hips, and her lips part as she lets out a mute moan. He starts out slowly, watching her shoot up the counter as her full breasts bounce. She arches her back to get him deeper, and he changes his grip from her thighs to her hips, rocking a little harder. His eyes shut as she squeezes him from the inside. “Damn, Savi,” he groans, getting lost in the feeling. Her leg muscles tighten, and her stomach flexes as her grip on his wrists becomes rough. She’s close, and so is he, but he intends to make this last for as long as he can.
He pulls out, ignoring her curses as he hauls her off the counter and over to the couch where he bends her over the arm and takes her from behind. He covers her body with his, wanting every inch of her against him. Burying her head into the covers and letting out a wild scream, she orgasms under him. He didn’t want to, but the intensity of her orgasm makes him go off too.
Fucking perfect.
Once he can see straight, he pulls out and scoops her up and carries her limp body into the bedroom, not bothering to turn on any lights. The moon is enough. His erection still obvious in the dim light, she spreads her legs for him, and he settles between them, pressing in gently. Those gorgeous eyes roll back in her head as he slowly slides around in the slippery mixture. Nothing in the world feels as good as being inside this woman. They spend the next few hours making love, both giving in to their desires.
They are hot and sticky when they finally pry apart long enough to make it to the shower. By one a.m., she is curled into his chest in the bed with his fingers running up and down the length of her arm. They’re totally relaxed in the blankets he grabbed from the couch while she was drying off. They haven’t spoken much, but he needs to know what happened today.
“Savi?” he whispers, seeing if she’s awake.
She shifts and moves her head slightly. “It was the trunk, in the parking lot, and,” her voice is low, “it just brought me back to that day. I don’t know why or what came over me, but—” He leans down and kisses her head. “Cole?”
“Mmm?”
She clears her throat, swallowing loudly. “Spend the night with me.”
He smiles and turns her on her side, spooning her from behind. “Sleep, baby, I’ve got you.”