5
JENNA
My eyes scan across the page of my current read, and I tug on my bottom lip with my teeth. It’s a sexy book, scorching to be quite honest, to the point where I’m almost embarrassed to be reading it. But that’s not what’s got me tugging on my lip and practically squirming in my lounge chair. I may be reading about a drop-dead sexy widowed rancher and his new love interest, but all I see in my mind is Cole.
Oh my goodness.Cole.
The things my subconscious came up with last night in my dreamswere enough to makea prostitute blush. I should be ashamed for even thinking such things about him, even though I wasn’t in a controlled state of mind, but I am so far from shameful it’s ridiculous. The feel of his hands gliding up my legs, my hips, my stomach, my breasts; the taste of his mouth; and the way my skin beaded wherever his lips landed—it was all so real that I woke up slightly disappointed.
Okay, I wasverydisappointed.
“Whatcha reading?”
I jump at the sound of Cole’s deep voice, causing my floppy sun hat to fall over my eyes.
“Sorry,” Cole apologizes. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Again.” He bends down next to me and grabs my book. I must’ve dropped it when he startled me. “Taken by the Rancher,” he reads aloud, and I feel my cheeks flame with heat at his knowing grin. “Sounds like a realpage-turner.”
I take the book from his outstretched hand and adjust my red bikini before I relax back onto the lounge chair. Cole takes the seat next to me.
”Is this what you’re going to do all day?” he asks me, and I turn to look at him. His head is resting against the back of the lounge chair, his face turned to the sun as he soaks up the rays. “Veg out and read your porn?”
My jaw falls and I slap him with the book. “It is notporn, thank you very much.”
He laughs and tilts his head toward me, his eyes bright with amusement. “Do they have sex?”
I lift my chin with a very Scarlett O’Hara defiance. “Yes, theymake love.”
“A lot?” Cole asks with a raised brow and a grin that twists my insides.
“Define a lot,” I say.
He laughs and shakes his head. “You’ve got porn.”
“Whatever,” I tell him and open my book—upside down. I casually flip it so I can begin where I left off. “Don’t you have mountains to climb or exploring to do?” I ask and a smirk plays at my lips. “Go get your map and backpack and run along now, Dora.”
As I search the page, looking for where I left off, I notice Cole from the corner of my eye as he stands up. Is he leaving? Maybe he didn’t find my Dora the Explorer comeback as funny as I did. I instantly feel bad. I didn’t really mean for him to “run along,” I just wanted him to stop teasing me about my dirty book. “Cole,” I say with a sigh. “Hang on a sec—what are you doing?”
Cole scoops me up into his arms and cradles me against his chest as he runs for the water—my hat and my book both long gone, laying in the sand by my chair.
“Don’t you dare!” I squeal and try to free myself. “Cole!” Water splashes around us as he rushes into the lake. His grip on me tightens as he spins and falls backward into the cool water, taking both of us under. I burst through the surface and gasp for air before wiping my face. I hear him before I see him, and when I open my eyes, he’s right in front of me laughing. “You jerk. I can’t believe you did that,” I chide and splash him.
Cole laughs again and ducks beneath the surface. My eyes dart around, looking for ripples or anything to alert me of his whereabouts, but I see nothing. “Where’d you go?” I call out, just as I feel his hands against my thighs and then—omigosh—his head pushing between my legs. Startled, I let out a tiny scream as Cole stands up and I’m sitting on his shoulders. “Are you crazy? What are you doing?”
“Exploring,” he answers with a chuckle and wipes his hand over his face. “Hold your breath.” And we’re falling again, the water crashing around us as I go under once more.
I come up for air and surprise myself by giggling. Giggling! I look around for Cole and find him behind me. “No fair,” I say with a laugh and splash him again. “I can’t pick you up and toss you around like that.”
His sly smile makes my stomach jump. “You can try,” he says with a shrug and swims over to me.
We move to a shallower point, and I laugh at the ridiculousness of this scenario. I know I can’t lift him, but I’m also not one for giving up so easily. “Ready?” I say, more to myself than him, but he nods anyway. I bend my knees and wrap my arms around his thighs, which puts my face directly in line with his abs. Holding my breath, I use every bit of strength I have and try to stand upright. We move, but my attempt to go up doesn’t work and gravity pulls me backward—making Cole fall right on top of me. I’m pulled to the surface, and I feel his hands wipe the water from my face and brush through my hair.
“Are you okay?” he asks, the concern in his voice echoes off of the water.
“Yeah,” I reply with a soft laugh and open my eyes. “I’m …” I’m wrapped around him—chest to chest, pelvis to pelvis, arms around his neck, legs around his waist wrapped around him. What am I doing?
Cole’s hands find the small of my back as he holds my gaze, and I see thedesireswimming in their deep brown depths. “Jenna,” he says, and the sexy tone of his voice nearly does me in. Not as much though as when his gaze falls to my mouth.
I moisten my lips, ready to receive what he’s blatantlyoffering,when my cell phone rings. The sound pulls me out of my lust-induced trance, and I blink as I pull away from Cole. “I’m sorry, I have to get that.” My heart is racing. I swim for the shore and don’t look back. I can’t. I have no idea what just happened, and I have no idea how I’m going to handle it. But if I had to take a guess? I’d say things with Cole Sullivan are about to get interesting.
