With Every Breath (11 page)

The cold water startled her, then closed over her head, and everything went black. She curled her body inward, then stretched her feet downward until her toes met the muddy lake bottom. Pushing against the ground, she sprang up and broke the surface of the water. She gasped and sucked in a breath.

She heard laughter and swiped back the heavy wet hair hanging over her eyes. Hillary stood beside her in the waist deep water, her jaw clenched and her eyes squinted in fury.

“What the hell, Trey Thompson,” Hillary shook her fist at the man smiling on the dock. “When I get out of here, I’m going to kill you.”

Trey didn’t seem the least worried about the death threat. “You skinny dipping down there, Hills?”

She waded to the dock and raised her hands. “Get me out of here, you ass.”

He squatted down and lifted her as easily as if she were a sack of groceries. He set her down and a puddle of water formed around her feet. “Hey, I didn’t know you’d be so jumpy.”

Hillary punched him, and he grabbed his chest with a laugh.

“Jeez, ouch,” he said, sounding wounded.

“What are you doing here?” Hillary snapped. She pulled at her clinging tank top. “I told you specifically that you weren’t invited.”

Trey gestured behind him. “But we brought you girls a gift. That chocolate frothy stuff you’re always taking shots of at the bar.”

Jaden noticed Cole for the first time, standing on the dock, one hand holding a slim brown paper bag with the liquor inside, the other shoved in his jeans pocket. His crooked smile was in place on the lips she hadn’t stopped thinking about since driving into town.

“I can’t believe you let him do that,” Hillary said.

Cole’s gaze moved from Jaden to Hillary.

“You know I can’t control him,” he said with a chuckle. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and handed Hillary the paper bag. “You kicking us out now?”

Hillary stared at the bottle for a moment, then took it from him. “You can stay if you start a fire. I’m freezing.”

Trey grinned down at her ample chest. “Yeah, I see that.”

Hillary shoved past him, dripping water down the dock. “Help Jaden out of the water,” she called over her shoulder.

Trey followed Hillary down the dock. “Cole can do that. I’m going to light your fire, baby.”

“Oh, Jesus,” Hillary huffed.

Their conversation faded to the background, because Jaden’s focus was zoned in a gaze too hot for her to concentrate on anything else. Cole crouched at the edge of the dock, his eyes on the white tank clinging to her breasts straining against the bikini she’d borrowed from Mia.

“You look a little wet there, Jelly Bean.” The glint in his eyes made her feel wicked and sexy in the moonlight.

“Funny.” She wasn’t supposed to feel this rush of adrenaline at the sight of him—she’d given herself the keep-your-distance lecture last night. It didn’t matter, though. Her body rebelled, not at all interested in cooperating with logic. “Help me out.”

He reached out and took her lifted hands, then rocked back on his heels to pull her out.

She tugged the corner of her lip into her mouth, but couldn’t suppress the smile as she tightened her grip and pulled with all her strength. His eyes widened just before he fell forward and hit the water with a slap. She lost the battle with her smile and broke into a full out grin. He broke the surface beside her, his gray T-shirt clinging to his chest and the six-pack she knew would be there. His dark hair was plastered to his forehead, and he ran his hands back over it.

“That wasn’t very nice.” His eyes glimmered in the moonlight, and despite her brain setting off alarm bells, she didn’t move away.

“Neither was scaring us.” Step away! her brain warned, but her body liked it right where it was. The butterflies of anticipation went haywire in her stomach.

His smile was devilish, gorgeous, and dangerous. “All I did was break some branches.”

“All I did was give you a little tug.”

“And now here we are.” His gaze turned hot—or maybe it was her imagination. Or maybe she was hot. He came closer.

And she didn’t move. Or speak. It was as if she’d swallowed her tongue. Which wasn’t fair at all. After all these years, he still had the ability to make her feel unsteady. Why should he get to make her feel like this? Like some kid with a crush and no chance? She was a woman, damn it. And you are immune to Cole Brooks.

Except she didn’t feel immune. Her body remembered the way he felt all those years ago, and wanted to feel him again.

The warmth buzzing through her was familiar and alluring, like the scent of his cologne. Would it always be this way with him? Goosebumps splayed across her skin even though her insides were far from cold. Did he know how fast her heart beat?

Being this close to him without touching was torture.

And God, he smelled good. Even her lips remembered the way his mouth felt, and she craved the taste of him on her tongue. Despite her hesitation, she drifted closer still until there was nothing between them but a sliver of water and wet clothes. Something changed—like an electrical current crackling between them. His eyes turned to liquid heat, and there was no turning back.

“Jaden.” His voice was husky with an underlying question—did she want this?

She shouldn’t. The right thing—the safe thing— to do was to push him away.

One kiss, the daredevil inside whispered. What would one kiss hurt? Closure, the voice said.

There’d never been a good-bye. No last kiss, nothing but memories of the way his arms around her and his lips on hers had felt. Missing him had kept her awake for too many nights.

But she had to believe this loss of control wasn’t about him, and more to do with the fact she hadn’t been kissed in so long, she’d forgotten how amazing a man’s lips felt. Especially Cole’s. He was too damn sexy for his own good. Of course she was attracted to him—she’d have to have no pulse to not be. Her body wanted him—nothing more.

One kiss, the voice whispered again. Just one.

She raised to her toes and pressed into him, searched out his mouth, ached for his arms to surround her. The moment their lips met, a sigh escaped her. This...

His lips tasted so damn good, just as she remembered. He was just as she remembered. His mouth lingered against her bottom lip before he shifted for more. The moment his tongue touched hers, her body was an explosion of sensation. She worried her heart wouldn’t stop racing. What would it be like to have every bit of him surrounding her, inside her? She shivered, then wished she could get even closer, because letting go was not an option.

He cupped her head with his hand, her wet, tangled hair entwined in his long fingers. His other hand brushed along her side to the small of her back before he reached down to cup her butt. Her legs lifted to wrap around his waist, her body almost weightless in the water. Their lips moved slow and sensuous together in a dance as old as time, and she gripped her hands behind his neck, holding on.

Someone cleared their throat, and Jaden crashed back down to reality. They weren’t alone. She wanted to care, but found she didn’t. It was Cole who broke away. She blinked up at him, torn between annoyance at whoever had interrupted and annoyance with Cole for being able to break a spell she couldn’t.

“You two sex fiends going to join us?” Trey asked. He stood on the dock with the cooler of beer in his hands and an amused smirk on his lips.

“Get lost,” Cole growled.

Trey shrugged with a chuckle. “Okay, but if Hills beats me up, I’m blaming you two animals.”

He walked away, and an awkward silence ensued.

“Hey.” Cole’s gaze roamed her face.

She smoothed her hair back, and willed her pulse to calm. “That was... unexpected.”

His lips twitched with a smile. “I’d say.”

“Guess we should go break the kids up before someone gets hurt.” She turned her back to him and waded to the dock.

“So that’s it?”

“Yeah, I guess it is.” She’d taken the easy way out, but she wasn’t about to over analyze what just happened. In fact, she wondered if she should pretend it hadn’t. “Just needed to get that out of my system, is all.”

His lips quirked. “So what you’re saying is I’m in your system.”

She rolled her eyes but her stupid lips ached to smile. “No. I’m saying you were sort of a little bit in my system. And now you’re not. At all.”

“If you say so.” Amusement edged his voice, which she chose to ignore. His hands wrapped around her waist; his fingers splayed against her stomach in a firm hold and she sucked in a ragged breath. He leaned in, dropped a soft, alluring kiss to her neck, and whispered just under her ear. “I’m going to wear you down, Jaden.”

She shivered from all the hot images flashing through her mind with the promise.

Didn’t he know? He was already halfway there.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Cole rolled over in bed, reached his arm out across the empty space beside him, and groaned. A dream. Jaden hadn’t really been moaning in his damn ear, begging him not to stop.

He felt like a damn teenager, his erection almost painful. “Fuck.”

And then he squeezed his eyelids together, because he wanted to do just that. With Jaden. He’d gotten her alone again last night, but she was quick to promise the kiss in the lake was it. He didn’t believe it for a moment. Not with the way she responded, rubbing against him; the way her breath caught when he slipped his tongue inside her mouth.

Every time he attempted to lure her away from the others, hoping for at least one more stolen kiss in the dark before the night was over, she gave him that amused, full-lipped smile of hers.

His alarm chimed again, and he rolled to sit on the edge of the bed. He dropped his head into his hands and blew out a frustrated breath. He dragged himself out of bed and went straight for the shower.

He was downstairs in the kitchen when the sound of Micky’s voice bubbling with excitement poured in through the front door. A surge of joy coursed through him and he set the coffee cup down. When he stepped into the living room, his son was already running full throttle.

Laughing, he scooped him up and pressed a kiss to his forehead, hugging him tight. “What are you doing here, bud?”

Micky’s eyes shone with laughter. “Surprised you, Daddy?”

“Sure did.” He kissed him again before shifting him to one arm. Kensie stood in the doorway, a soft, content smile on her lips. Apprehensive, he cocked his head. “What’s up?”

She shrugged and set her purse on the bench in the entryway. “We were in the neighborhood and thought we’d stop by to see what you were up to.”

“Okay.” He pinched his lips together before he asked something that would start a fight. Dropping in to visit hadn’t been on her agenda since the day she left to visit her sister and sent divorce papers in return. He glanced at Micky, whose little fingers had begun, tugging on his earlobe. “So, what would you like to do today, bud?”

“Mommy says we can go fishing.” He turned hopeful eyes to Kensie. “Didn’t you, Mommy?”

“If Daddy has time.” She crossed her arms, as if waiting for Cole to challenge her.

“I always have time for fishing with my boy,” he said with a smile, but his words were for Kensie. Every time they talked on the phone the last couple of months, it was always, if you have time this, and if you have time that. As if his life was too busy and she didn’t want to intrude. And every time she took that tone of voice with him, he fought the urge to snap back.

Leaving had been her decision, not his. He’d fought for her—for them—and she was the one to give up. Now, any time he did anything, she liked to make him feel as if his life was too full to also be a dad. What he wouldn’t give to have Micky home every night to tuck in. He’d never be too busy, and he’d drop any plan in a heartbeat for one extra minute with his son.

“I want a big pole, Daddy.” Micky’s jaw was set with determination. “Like yours.”

He’d spend more time fiddling with Micky’s “big pole” than doing any fishing, and he couldn’t wait. When Kensie breezed past him and to the kitchen, he followed her. “So you want me to bring him back to you, or what?”

“No, I’ll go with. I’m not doing anything else today.” She opened the fridge, and Cole raised his brows.

“Fishing.” He shifted Micky in his arms. The cabin had never been her favorite place. “Since when do you want to go fishing?”

She shot him a look of irritation over the fridge door. “Micky wants to spend time with his family. I’m staying.”

Their divorce was a month away, and now, out of the blue, she was concerned about their family? He shook his head but didn’t say anything. He wouldn’t fight in front of Micky—they’d done enough of that when they were together, something he still felt guilt about. Would his son grow up remembering their fights? God, he hoped not.

“I’ll go get the gear together,” Cole said, though it was all ready to go. All they’d need to do was stop for some worms at Joe’s Garage.

She bent down and disappeared behind the open refrigerator door. “I’ll make us sandwiches so we don’t have to spend money on lunch.” Kensie’s blonde hair peeked above the door as she stepped back. “I’m surprised you have any food.” She closed the fridge, holding a container of lunch meat, mayo, and cheese in her hands.