Rescue Me(15)

"I can think for myself just fine," she snapped, bringing his attention back to the matter at hand. "I just want to make him happy." Her voice softened. "He's done so much for me. After our parents died..." She trailed off and looked away. Cole remembered. They had been in college and Brandon had been overwhelmed by the responsibility of looking out for his sister.

Cole took a step closer to her, but she jumped back. "None of that matters. I'm here and I'm taking this lesson. So let's get on with it."

"You seemed to have a good time yesterday. Once we actually got out on the water. So what's with the cold shoulder now?" He had to know.

"I thought I made it clear I didn't want to discuss that."

"Too bad. I do. If we're going to be spending time together for the next couple weeks, and it looks as though we are, I need to know. The other night you were—" A fantasy. Sexy. Irresistible. "—not nearly so cranky with me."

Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. "Cranky? You're calling me cranky?"

Bad move, man. "Maybe that's the wrong word," he said, backpedaling.

"Damn right it is." She put her hands back on her hips, revealing an ample amount of cleavage.

Cole groaned. This woman was going to be the death of him. "What would you call it?"

"Indignant? Shocked? Outraged?"

What?

He drew his eyebrows together and leaned in toward her. "Because I know Brandon? I didn't know who you were any more than you knew me. You act like I was trying to trick you."

"You might as well have. For all intents and purposes, you did. You took advantage of me." She was gesturing wildly again, and he wanted to laugh at how adorably animated she was, except her words threw him off guard.

"Took advantage? What are you talking about?" He was so confused he couldn't even pretend to follow along.

"What else could I mean? The last thing I remember is we were on the beach." Her face flushed. The next thing I know is I'm waking up naked in your bed. Obviously you—" She broke off, gesturing between the two of them. "You and I. We. You know what I mean."

He moved in closer, effectively trapping her against the boat rail. "No, I don't think I do. I think you need to spell it out for me." Because if she was saying what he thought she was saying, no wonder she didn't want anything to do with him.

"We slept together. And I was too far gone to remember any of it."

***





There, she'd said it. She hadn't intended to, but he'd pushed her too far. At least she'd cleared the air and he wouldn't go around acting as if nothing had happened. If they were stuck together for the time being, maybe she could function a little easier around him without that night hanging between them. She could keep her distance and keep herself in check. Because if she caved to him now after being so self-righteous she'd look like a spineless fool.

She chewed the inside of her lip while she waited for him to say something. Anything. But he was just watching her, his face as unreadable as if it were carved from stone.

Cole continued to stare, and she grew uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot.

"That's what you think?" he finally said in a strained voice.

"Umm, yeah." She tried to give her most exasperated look, but she thought it came out wrong, because he took another step closer to her, closing the remaining distance between them in one step. The heat in his eyes made her swallow hard.

He leaned down so that his lips were only inches from her ear. His entire body was close enough that if she breathed too deeply she was sure they would make contact. So she didn't breathe, for fear his touch would cause her to burst into flames. Then he said softly, his breath teasing her neck, "Baby, if we slept together, you better believe you'd never forget it."

He turned and stalked off, disappearing into the cabin of the boat.

Meredith stood rooted to the spot, unsure what had just happened. She couldn't even think straight thanks to her body's insane tendency to fall to pieces whenever she was near Cole. Part of her wanted to follow him while the other wanted to jump ship, literally.

What did he mean? She'd never forget it. But she had. Unless...

"Cole!" She ran into the cabin after him, stopping abruptly when she reached the bottom of the steps. The cabin was tinier than she'd expected and the man standing before her made it feel even smaller. She watched him for what seemed like an eternity, his eyes boring into hers with a mixture of anger and desire.

"Is that really what you think of me?" he asked, seemingly disgusted.

She didn't want to. "What do you expect? I don't even know you. Not really." She lowered her eyes for a moment then peered up at him through lowered lashes, feeling a tinge of embarrassment. "You're saying we didn't?"

He shook his head. "Not that I didn't want to, but God, Meredith, I'd have to be a real tool to do something like that."

Incomprehensibly, she didn't know whether she was relieved or disappointed. On one hand, he wasn't the jerk she'd made him out to be in her mind. Good. On the other hand, now she had no reason to keep her distance, and knowing she hadn't slept with him made her desperately want to know exactly what she was missing. Not good.