heaven. He could lay here, and have her touch him like this forever. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, enjoying the feel of her hands, so tender on him.
“You awake?” she whispered.
He lay there, not moving, trying to prepare himself for what he was afraid was coming. Would she want to leave him now? “Baby, I’m so sorry.”
Her hand paused in stroking his hair. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Angel, you have to know-”
She cut him off. “Please, Cole. I can’t deal with it right now.”
“Alright, baby doll.” He gave in. He was unsure how to proceed, not sure where he stood, where they stood. Was there even a ‘they’ anymore? He knew the best thing he could do for her was to let her go. But he didn’t want to. God, help him. He couldn’t. Not now. Not yet. He cursed the selfishness of it, but he didn’t care. He just wasn’t ready to let her go. He wasn’t ready for this to be over. He lay there, listening to her heart beating in his ear. “What are you thinking?” He had to know.
She resumed stroking his hair. “Nothing.”
“Tell me, please. I know I hurt you. I let you down. God, but you must hate me now.” When she said nothing, he realized how badly he had wanted her to deny it. The muscle in his jaw tightened. He tried to prepare himself, to protect himself from the hurt. “If you want to leave…I won’t stop you. I’ll take you myself, wherever you want to go. But…”
“But, what?” she prompted.
“But that’s not what I want. I don’t want you to leave. Not yet. Not yet, baby.”
She stared at him.
“Let me take you away from here, just the two of us. Just a few more days together, please, baby. Will you stay? Will you give me that?” He rose up slightly, and looked at her.
She smiled at him in the fading light, and nodded.
He lowered his mouth to hers, and kissed her softly, their lips barely touching. He hung suspended above her, resting on his elbows.
Her hands came up, and framed his face, pulling him down to deepen the kiss. Then they ran down over the muscles in his shoulders and arms.
He heard her moan, and he tightened his arms around her. His mouth moved to her jaw, trailing kisses to her ear. “I want you,” he whispered in a low, gravelly voice.
Her mouth trailed kisses along his neck, moving to his ear, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath her lips. She paused with her mouth just over his ear, and she whispered back, “Then take me.”
He rose up, and looked down at her. “I don’t want to hurt you. Your back is still tender, and-”
She pushed back on his shoulders, rolling him to his back. Then she threw her leg over him, and moved on top of him. Her hands pressed to his chest, as she rose up and straddled him.
His hands closed around her hips. He smiled up at her. “You’re sure?”
She smiled back, and nodded.
His hands tightened around her hips, and he lifted her, positioned her, and surged inside her.
Chapter Nine
The next morning, Cole took Angel, and left the clubhouse. He didn’t tell her where they were going. He didn’t want to give her a chance to change her mind.
They rode for hours, down through Santa Cruz, Monterey, Carmel, all the way to Big Sur. They stopped here, and there, along the way, and reached Big Sur by dinnertime.
Cole pulled into a campground that also rented out small, rustic cabins. He parked the bike, and they got off.
Angel watched as he took his cut off, and stuffed it in his saddlebag. He pulled out a flannel shirt, and pulled it on to cover his shoulder holster.
When he saw the questioning look Angel was giving him, he explained, “No reason to give ‘em and excuse not to rent to us.”
She nodded.
They walked into the office, and Cole talked to the woman behind the counter. Angel wandered over to a display of brochures. It was mid-week, and luckily they had one cabin left available.
Cole paid, and got the key.
The woman gave him directions to their unit.
They got back on the bike, and Cole rolled slowly through the row of cabins until they found #9. He pulled up, and parked.
It was a tiny cabin, set off at the end of the row. They were all rustic, log cabins, probably built back in the fifties.