deodorant, or whatever it was. She remembered the way he felt inside her. Images from last night flitted through her mind, and she could only hope he wasn’t doing the same thing. That woman last night—that wasn’t her. She’d let loose for one night and one night only, thinking no one would ever know. This was just awkward.
She snuck another glance at him, but his gaze caught hers. For a second, it took her back to that first look—that moment of instant connection—in the bar.
“I don’t know…” … how to handle this. How to reconcile this man being here, invading my regular life.
Cole reached over and gently ran his thumb down her jaw, an intimate touch she wasn’t prepared for. Jill closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his flesh against hers. “What don’t you know?”
She swallowed hard and gently pulled her chin away. For a second, his hand hung in the air, as if he didn’t know what to do with it, then he pushed both hands into his jean pockets. “We have a college intern working with us. I’ll make sure you’re not bothered again.”
“Jill, you weren’t bothering me. Stanley wasn’t bothering me either. Do you want to come in?”
The abrupt invitation threw her. Was he thinking they could…?
But no. He looked sad, lonely maybe, but not horny. He probably just wanted some company to distract himself from the pain of being inside his mother’s home. And she could give him that. Again. For a few minutes, at least. When she’d left the daycare five minutes ago, Liz and Monica had just started an art project with the kids.
Still, she hesitated, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that less than twenty-four hours ago, she’d been having sex with Stella’s son. This huge, gorgeous man was the “little boy” that Stella used to talk about all the time. She should decline his invitation to come inside. They’d already made it weird by having sex before they even knew each other. This was supposed to have been a one-night thing, and while that was complicated by the fact Cole was Stella’s son and her new-and-who-knew-for-how-long-neighbor, she shouldn’t complicate it any further.
Which is why it made no sense when she smiled and said, “Sure,” then stepped through the door.
Chapter Five
Cole’s heart thumped loudly in his chest as he closed the door and faced Jill, hoping the hard-on throbbing in his jeans wasn’t obvious. God, he wanted her. But now wasn’t the time to get horizontal, he reminded himself. Everything had changed the moment he’d opened the door and he still felt off balance. And from the way Jill’s expressions flitted from one to another to another, she was just as discombobulated as he. He leaned back against the door, wanting to say something—anything—to put her at ease when it was clear she wasn’t. But he floundered, again filled with the conflicting urges to run to her but also push her away, just like he’d been when he’d first spotted her in that bar.
She crossed her arms protectively against her chest and glanced around the house.
“Jill—”
“Cole,” she said at the same time.
A nervous giggle bubbled up from her throat. “This is crazy! I don’t even know what to say. We weren’t supposed to see each other again. I mean, this is awkward, right?”
“Awkward. Sure, that’s one way to describe it.” He straightened and tried for a grin but rubbed his neck instead. “Follow me.” He led her through the living room to the kitchen. Once there, she sat on a wooden stool. He leaned on his elbows over the counter. “Is seeing me so awful?” he said, attempting a joke. “You saw a lot more of me last night…”
For a moment a smile flashed across her face and her cheeks went delightfully pink. “No, of course it’s not awful.” Then the smile faded and the color lost its bloom. A shadow crossed her eyes. “Well, the circumstances are awful. Because of why you’re here. I mean, I assume you’re here
She snuck another glance at him, but his gaze caught hers. For a second, it took her back to that first look—that moment of instant connection—in the bar.
“I don’t know…” … how to handle this. How to reconcile this man being here, invading my regular life.
Cole reached over and gently ran his thumb down her jaw, an intimate touch she wasn’t prepared for. Jill closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his flesh against hers. “What don’t you know?”
She swallowed hard and gently pulled her chin away. For a second, his hand hung in the air, as if he didn’t know what to do with it, then he pushed both hands into his jean pockets. “We have a college intern working with us. I’ll make sure you’re not bothered again.”
“Jill, you weren’t bothering me. Stanley wasn’t bothering me either. Do you want to come in?”
The abrupt invitation threw her. Was he thinking they could…?
But no. He looked sad, lonely maybe, but not horny. He probably just wanted some company to distract himself from the pain of being inside his mother’s home. And she could give him that. Again. For a few minutes, at least. When she’d left the daycare five minutes ago, Liz and Monica had just started an art project with the kids.
Still, she hesitated, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that less than twenty-four hours ago, she’d been having sex with Stella’s son. This huge, gorgeous man was the “little boy” that Stella used to talk about all the time. She should decline his invitation to come inside. They’d already made it weird by having sex before they even knew each other. This was supposed to have been a one-night thing, and while that was complicated by the fact Cole was Stella’s son and her new-and-who-knew-for-how-long-neighbor, she shouldn’t complicate it any further.
Which is why it made no sense when she smiled and said, “Sure,” then stepped through the door.
Chapter Five
Cole’s heart thumped loudly in his chest as he closed the door and faced Jill, hoping the hard-on throbbing in his jeans wasn’t obvious. God, he wanted her. But now wasn’t the time to get horizontal, he reminded himself. Everything had changed the moment he’d opened the door and he still felt off balance. And from the way Jill’s expressions flitted from one to another to another, she was just as discombobulated as he. He leaned back against the door, wanting to say something—anything—to put her at ease when it was clear she wasn’t. But he floundered, again filled with the conflicting urges to run to her but also push her away, just like he’d been when he’d first spotted her in that bar.
She crossed her arms protectively against her chest and glanced around the house.
“Jill—”
“Cole,” she said at the same time.
A nervous giggle bubbled up from her throat. “This is crazy! I don’t even know what to say. We weren’t supposed to see each other again. I mean, this is awkward, right?”
“Awkward. Sure, that’s one way to describe it.” He straightened and tried for a grin but rubbed his neck instead. “Follow me.” He led her through the living room to the kitchen. Once there, she sat on a wooden stool. He leaned on his elbows over the counter. “Is seeing me so awful?” he said, attempting a joke. “You saw a lot more of me last night…”
For a moment a smile flashed across her face and her cheeks went delightfully pink. “No, of course it’s not awful.” Then the smile faded and the color lost its bloom. A shadow crossed her eyes. “Well, the circumstances are awful. Because of why you’re here. I mean, I assume you’re here
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