Do you take this rebel - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,47
until he hit thirty. It didn’t seem to faze him, though. He simply tried a more inventive approach the next time.
As if that weren’t nerve-racking enough, since Jake wasn’t going to him, Cole continued to stop by her house unannounced, bringing thoughtful treats for her mother and disconcerting kisses for her. She hadn’t figured out a way to get the man to keep his hands and his mouth to himself. He had history on his side. She hadn’t been able to do it ten years ago, either.
She had just kicked off her shoes and propped her feet on the porch railing, when Cole’s car turned into the driveway. He emerged in a pair of faded jeans that hugged his hips, and a T-shirt that stretched taut over his broad shoulders. It was hard to imagine that this was the same man whose computer company had just reported earnings in the millions. She sighed when she thought about it. If they had been a lousy match ten years ago, there was an even greater divide between them now. He was a college-educated business whiz. She was a waitress with a high school diploma.
“Why are you here?” she inquired testily.
Undaunted by her attitude, he shot her a grin. “To improve your mood, for starters.”
“Exactly how are you planning to do that?” she inquired warily.
“I’m going to take you away from all this. Get your bathing suit.”
“Why?”
“This is an impulsive moment, darlin’. Stop asking so many questions. I never used to have to work so hard to persuade you to come with me. I seem to recall a time when you couldn’t wait to sneak off to be alone with me.”
“I’m older and wiser now.”
“More’s the pity.” He nudged her bare, aching feet off the railing. “Get a move on.”
“Maybe I don’t enjoy swimming,” she said grumpily.
“Since when?”
“Since right this second.”
He sighed heavily and sat beside her. “Okay, spill it. What’s really going on here? Did somebody sneak out of Stella’s today without paying the bill? Did somebody stiff you on your tip?”
“Everything at work went just fine.”
“Then this grouchiness has to do with me?”
Him, the situation, the lies, everything. Her life was a mess. Not that she admitted any of that. Unfortunately, he seemed to interpret her silence as agreement.
“What did I do?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she admitted. “You’ve been great.”
“But?”
Finally she leveled a look straight at him and repeated her earlier question. “Why are you here?”
“To take you swimming.”
“But why?”
“Because it’s a hot day and I thought we could cool off in the river, then have a picnic. That used to be your favorite way to spend a summer evening.”
It had also been what had gotten them into trouble. Being alone and scantily clad had led to steamy kisses and eventually, on that one memorable night, to making love. He wasn’t fooling her one bit. That was exactly the way he saw the evening ending tonight, too.
“I’m not as young and foolish as I once was.”
He frowned at that. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“I am not interested in letting you seduce me.”
She had expected anger or at the very least irritation, but instead he chuckled.
“Okay, then, you can seduce me,” he said cheerfully. “I’m easy.”
“No seduction, period.”
He shrugged, as if it didn’t matter a bit to him one way or the other. “Suit yourself. Bring Jake along as a chaperon.”
As if he’d been lurking just inside the door waiting for a chance to join them, Jake stepped onto the porch and let the screen door slam shut behind him.
“Bring me where? And what’s a chaperon?”
“You are grounded, young man,” Cassie said, regarding him sternly. “You’re not going anywhere. And eavesdropping is not polite.”
“But, Mom…”
“Inside,” she said, gesturing in that direction. “You know the rules.”
“You’re ruining my whole summer,” he protested. He inched closer to Cole. “Tell her.”
Though Cole looked as if he wanted to ask a whole lot of questions, he merely shrugged. “She’s your mother. You do as she says.”
“But it’s not fair. What did I do that was so wrong? I just wanted to go over to see Cole. He said I could.” He gazed up at Cole. “Didn’t you? You said I could come anytime.”
“With your mother’s permission,” Cole reminded him. “Is that what this is all about? You were sneaking off to the ranch again?”
“More than once,” Cassie told him before facing Jake. “Inside now, or I swear I’ll add another day to your grounding.”
Tears welled up in Jake’s eyes. “I hate you!” he shouted. “I hate