He looks past me, out through the kitchen window. “Why don’t you get in the hot tub? You can turn on the jets, massage the area.”
“I don’t have a bathing suit.”
“Hang on.”
“Cole…” I begin, but my words die when he disappears from the kitchen. If he’s digging out some bathing suit left by a former girlfriend, he’s wasting his time.
I glance out the window again, take in the warm glow of the pool and the hot tub tucked into the corner at one end of it. It really would be nice to soak in that thing, but that’s not going to happen.
I quickly finish washing the dishes, then turn to find Cole coming back, a bathing suit in his hand.
“I think this will fit.”
A little white tag is still attached to the one-piece suit. To be honest, I’m surprised it’s not a skimpy bikini.
“I bought this for—”
I hold my hand up to stop him. “I don’t need the details,” I say, and he lifts it for my examination.
“Do you think it will fit?”
I take the suit from him and check the size. It’s one size up from what I normally wear, but that’s okay with me. I’d rather bigger than smaller. “I think it will.”
“You can change in the bathroom if you want. There are towels in the closet. I’ll just finish putting the dishes away.”
“Thanks,” I say. I’m about to head to the bathroom, but turn back to Cole, who is now focused on the dishes. “Thanks, Cole, for…” I glance at the TV, the dishes from the delicious meal we shared, and the hot tub he’s offering me. “All this.”
He shrugs. “It’s the least I can do for my best friend’s kid sister.”
“Right,” I say at the reminder of who I really am to him. God, I have no right to feel so weirded out. I am his best friend’s kid sister, and don’t want to be anything more than that to him anyway.
I dash to the lavish bathroom, hurry into the suit, and wrap a big, fluffy towel around me.
When I exit, I find the door to the back patio open for me, and I slip out into the warm night. The lights are dim, and I follow the path to the hot tub and climb in. The warm heat wraps around me, and a small moan slips from my lips. Good God, I could totally get used to this kind of luxury.
I fiddle around with the buttons until I figure out how to put the jets on low, and the water sprays against my body, a gentle massage that can only be described as heavenly.
I let my lids fall shut, and try to shut my mind down. Now is not the time to let my piling bills, my hockey series or…Cole invade my thoughts. No, now is the time to clear the mind and just relax.
Seriously though, what would Jess say if she knew I was in Cole’s hot tub? I’m going to have to shoot her a text when I get home. She’ll want all the juicy details, even if they’re rated PG.
“Hey.”
I open my eyes to find Cole standing on the edge of the hot tub, a glass of wine in his hand. “I found the wine, thought you might like a glass to help you relax.”
I sit up and accept the glass. “Thanks,” I say, but my mind isn’t on the white wine. No, it’s on Cole, dressed only in his board shorts. At least they cover more than his underwear. Not much, but I’ll take it.
“I thought I’d go for a swim, stretch out the muscles, but I won’t if you just want quiet time out here.”
“That’s thoughtful, Cole, but this is your place. You can do what you want.”
The second those words leave my mouth, he scrubs his hand over his chin—a familiar gesture. His gaze roams over me, and heat creeps up my neck and into my face. I set the wine in the cup holder and sink deeper into the water, as I get pulled into a storm of want and desire. It’s dark out here, but I’m not about to take a chance on him seeing the hardening of my nipples.
He walks to the other end of the pool and eases himself in. I reach for my wine and take a sip as he slowly does a few laps. Although I’m not sure he should be exerting the effort when trying to recover from a concussion. I sit up straighter and watch his long, lean body glide through the water. I grip my stemware tighter, and agonize over the riot of need taking up residency in my stomach.
I shouldn’t want him as much as I do. This is Cocky Cole, who’s reached out and touched more women than Hallmark. But seriously, the last time I was properly laid was…never. I mean, I’ve had sex, just not good sex, and if his reputation is right, well…he can deliver—big time.
He surfaces in front of the hot tub, and I scramble back into my seat, but my reaction is too slow. He gives me that grin again, the one that says he knows I’ve been watching, and he doesn’t mind.