It’s one of the first things I noticed about her all those years ago, and I’m happy to see that drive hasn’t changed even as her,ahem, focus has shifted.
Cole continues to work us both up, and I’m doing my damndest to hold out for her.She comes first, plays like a mantra in my head, and I’m about to lose that battle when I feel a sharp pinch to my ass. Refocusing on Cole, her pleading eyes send me careening over the edge, my hand still fisted firmly around her ponytail. Involuntarily I tug as I search for some way to ground myself, my orgasm spilling thickly down Cole’s throat. She swallows and swallows and swallows until I pull her off of me with a lewdpop. Half a second later, she’s coming too. Her lips are swollen as they part, fingers working fervently, chasing her ecstasy wave after wave.
“Look at me,” I rasp, tugging her ponytail until her lust-riddled eyes meet mine. The caramel swirl of her irises mesmerizes me, a thick sheen of tears glistening in the candlelight. My thumb swipes across her cheek, collecting any fallen tears—the result of having my cock in her mouth for an extended period of time. “You’re beautiful,” I mutter.
It’s the wrong thing to say. Cole tenses, immediately sliding on her mask of indifference. “Hey,” I whisper. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?” she asks, not meeting my eyes.
“Run away.”
A scoff is all I get in reply as she sinks back into what has to be lukewarm water. She lifts the drain, quietly watching the water as it lowers. I tuck my dick back into my pants, buttoning them back up. Waiting to see what Cole will do next. Both of us are silent, but I know better than to rush her.
When the tub is almost completely empty, she does something that surprises me. She turns the hot water back on. “I’m not running anywhere,” she says, still not looking at me.
My shoulders instantly sag in relief. I eye the detachable showerhead, an idea springing into my head. “Can I wash your hair?” I ask.
Finally, she looks back up at me, a smirk dancing across her pretty lips. “You really are obsessed, Benjamin.”
I shrug, not bothering to correct her.
“Fine.” She works to undo the tie holding her hair up. “But no stealing pieces of my hair to keep on some secret altar you have hiding in your closet.”
“I knew you were going to snoop,” I quip. She guffaws, but I ignore her, opting to switch the faucet so it’s streaming from the showerhead now. “I don’t have any fancy hair products.”
“It’s fine. I’ll wash it again after my run in the morning.” She pauses, smile turning mischievous. “This is more for you than it is for me anyway.”
“I believe it’s called aftercare, Red.”
“You been reading up since our last encounter?” she jokes.
I roll my eyes. “You aren’t my first partner, Cole. I knew what aftercare was before our ‘last encounter.’” I use the showerhead to help me form air quotes, getting dangerously close to spraying her in the face.
Cole narrows her eyes at me. “No funny business,” she scolds.
“That part already happened. Now lean forward.”
She rolls her eyes and maneuvers herself so I have room to wet the hair that is now cascading down her bare back. I relish watching as it turns from a bright auburn to a dark, almost-brunette shade everywhere the water hits. Slowly, deliberately, I let the water soak all the way down to her scalp. Once it’s time for shampoo, I realize this is going to be a bit more complicated than I anticipated.
“Just a sec,” I say before handing her the showerhead. As quickly as possible, I change out of my jeans and into a pair of boxers. When I walk back in the bathroom, I angle my leg with my foot in the tub so Cole can lean back against me. I fan her hair over my thigh, enjoying how easily she’s complying with my nonverbal requests.
She starts to hum as I massage shampoo into her scalp. I don’t think she even realizes she’s doing it, but the sound wraps around me, burying itself beneath my ribs. Cole Russell is making me crave her. I’ve had a sip of this side of her and now I’m a lush.
And I’m so royally fucked.
We sit in companionable silence—minus the occasional humming from Cole—as I finish shampooing and rinsing. I want to invite her to stay. I want—fuck, I want tocuddlewith Colette. While I work up the courage to ask, she lazily gets out of the tub, wrapping the nearby towel around her body. I miss seeing the creamy expanse instantly.
Cole twists her hair back into a wet bun, securing it with her hair tie. I’m about to open my mouth, about to just spit out my request, when she sighs.
“I need to get home.” She’s back to not making eye contact.
I dry my leg off, trying, and failing, not to make things awkward. “Right. Of course. I-I could get you a drink or something though.” We both pause. “If you want,” I rush to add.
“I need to get home to Ernest.”
Ernest?No, there’s no way she has someone waiting for her at home. That would be fucking diabolical, it would be?—
“My dog,” she says slowly, as if explaining what a dog is to a very small child. “You met him when you came over.”
