Rescue Me(33)

"Then what were you just talking about?"

"It's really none of your business." That much was true, so long as it didn't involve him. Or Meredith.

"Just tell me I can trust you to keep this under wraps."

Katrina nodded, apparently relieved that he was dropping it. "Absolutely. My lips are sealed." She drew her thumb and finger together and swiped them across her lips.

"Thanks," he said, holding the door for her so she could leave. She walked off without another word.

Strange. But he didn't have time to worry about it. He had a hot little dancer back in his shower, and he didn't intend to keep her waiting.





CHAPTER NINE



The shower proved to be one of many parts of the suite they explored. When Cole had arrived back in his room, he'd found Meredith draped across his bed in nothing but the red shoes she'd left behind that first night. They hadn't made it to the shower then, but after exploring the possibilities of the bed, sofa, and balcony after dark, they'd done so in the shower as well. It seemed as if neither of them could get enough of each other.

Since when had he had such an insatiable appetite for a woman? He couldn't remember, but as long as she was as hungry for him as he was for her, he intended to feed his desires. And they did, right up until dropping exhausted into bed well past midnight.

He'd woken up with the sun, as his body had been in the habit of doing ever since his early mornings with his father on their boat. After making a quiet call for room service, he went out onto the balcony and breathed in the early morning air and was surprised to hear the door slide open behind him moments later.

Wrapped in a sheet, Meredith sidled up to him. "You're up early."

"I ordered breakfast if you're hungry."

The look in her eyes was unreadable, but as soon as she smiled it was gone and he wondered if he'd imagined it. "That sounds good."

"Do you want something to wear or are you fine in the sheet? I have to admit, I kind of like it."

Meredith laughed and his heart tugged at the sound. Whoa. What was that? He didn't like how much he wanted to make her laugh. To just make her happy in general.

Thankfully the knock at the door indicating room service had arrived was just the distraction he needed.

***





Meredith made herself comfortable on the overstuffed outdoor sofa and pulled the coffee table closer so they could spread the breakfast out in front of them while they relaxed.

She felt a giddy pleasure that he had ordered breakfast for them. It was such an ordinary act, but somehow eating together the morning after a night of wild sex held a certain intimacy.

As soon as she thought it she regretted it. Intimacy was not in the plan. She couldn't let it be in the plan. She'd tried to ignore Katrina's gentle warning the previous afternoon, but it suddenly reared its ugly head. This was exactly why she needed to be careful. It would be all too easy to let herself fall completely into the fantasy of what it would be like if she didn't have to go back to her real life. And that wasn't an option.

She'd just be more careful with her thoughts. As long as she remembered exactly what this was, she'd be fine.

But her resolve went out the window as soon as Cole returned with a tray covered with all types of delectable pastries, fruit, juices, and coffee. He sat it on the table and began to spread it out for them, then sat beside her.

"It looks delicious. I don't know where to start."

"Here. Try this one. It's my favorite." He lifted what looked like a tiny donut covered in chocolate and powdered sugar up to her lips, and she took a bite. She closed her eyes and moaned it was so good. When she opened them and looked back at Cole, he was watching her with a whole different type of hunger.

"Watch it or we'll end up back in the bed before you've had a chance to taste the rest of this."

Meredith licked the sugar from her lips. "Is that a promise?"

"You're going to kill me, you know that?" He groaned as he poured them each a cup of coffee. Meredith watched as he filled a small plate for her, then handed it to her along with her coffee.

For a guy that was well-versed in one-night stands, he sure knew how to treat a woman. When she said as much, he stopped with his coffee mug halfway to his mouth.

"I'm sorry," she said in a rush. "That's not a very fling-like thing to say is it? It won't happen again. I don't want you to worry that I'm going to break the rules or anything. I know what we're doing here."

He blinked, and then took a long drink of his coffee. She knew she was blabbering again, but she didn't seem to know how to stop.

"It's okay," he said finally. "And you didn't say anything wrong. It just took me by surprise." He gave her what she was sure he thought was a reassuring smile, but she saw the unease behind it.

No matter what he said, she was certain she had said something wrong because they continued their breakfast hardly speaking, breaking the uncomfortable silence only with small pleasantries and comments about the day ahead.

She wished she could take it back, but it was too late now. All she could do was make sure to keep her head on straight in the future and not start talking or thinking about fanciful intimacies. Because as much as she was realizing she wanted to know everything about him, she knew it was never going to happen.