Rescue Me(4)

When Trust Fund Douche got right up in her face, Cole was pushing forward without realizing it, right into the midst of the crowd. Ignoring her shocked expression, Cole moved smoothly in front of the woman and faced the guy head on.

"Is there a problem here?" Cole kept his face pleasant enough, but there was a dangerous edge to his voice.

The guy was obviously drunk but had enough wits about him to know he was no physical match for Cole if it came down to it. He backed up, palms facing outward in front of his chest.

"No, man. I was just dancing with my girl."

One glance behind him at the woman's incredulous expression told Cole she was most assuredly not his girl. He smiled cockily. "Is that so? Funny, because she's here with me." He angled his body slightly to lean into her and place a protective hand on her hip. The thin fabric of her dress under his fingertips revealed that she was wearing a thong.

Cole groaned inwardly. The rush of blood straight to his groin wasn't going to help if he wanted to make an easy escape after dispensing of the drunk jerk. They guy mumbled something and stumbled his way off the dance floor, and the crowd that had started to gather quickly dispersed, returning to the more pressing matter of dancing. When she was certain he was out of sight, the woman pulled away from Cole abruptly.

Turning to face her fully for the first time, he put on his most charming grin, but it faltered when he looked into the most piercing blue eyes he'd ever seen. He could have gotten lost in them if it weren't for the fact that they were narrowed at him, and not in the sultry gaze he was used to inspiring. Confused, he took in her full lips which were pursed in irritation. She placed a fist on her hip where his had just been and gestured wildly with her other hand.

"What the hell was that?"





CHAPTER TWO



"You're welcome," the man said, flashing a set of straight white teeth at Meredith.

She couldn't believe this was happening. She'd been doing fine dealing with Yuppie Boy on her own, irritating as he may have been, and along came this guy, like she was some helpless female. She was anything but, even if she did feel a bit out of her element.

And it had to be this guy. Meredith could still feel the tingles racing across her skin from where his hand had touched her hip. It made her want to grab him and pull him closer to see what else he might be capable of making her feel.

Down, girl.

She struggled to focus on why she was mad. No easy task now that he was close enough for her to see just how dark and captivating his eyes were.

"I had it under control," she said through clenched teeth.

"Really? From where I was standing it looked like you could use some help." Meredith didn't like the way he arched an eyebrow skeptically.

"Yes, really. I'm not some sissy girl that can't handle myself."

"I see that. You seem to handle yourself very well."

She wasn't sure what he meant by that, but the way his gaze trailed down her body and back up had her momentarily not caring. She swallowed hard. This guy was dangerous. How had he known that Yuppie Boy was getting out of hand? Had he been watching her? The idea of it made her smile in spite of her resolve to remain angry. He was even more delectable up close, and with the crowd pressing in around them he towered over her, invading her space. Inhaling sharply as he leaned down to speak into her ear, she caught a hint of his spicy masculine scent, her eyes fluttering shut as his breath caressed her neck.

"How about a drink?"

Meredith nodded wordlessly, trying to get her wits back. This guy. He had some crazy effect on her, making her feel off balance. Placing his hand on the small of her back he guided her through the crowd. His confident touch assured Meredith that those large hands would be very skilled when put to other uses.

"I'm Cole," he said, leaning down again to speak over the music.

"Meredith," she replied, angling her head toward him to be heard. She didn't miss the way his eyes lingered on her exposed neck. When his gaze came back to hers, her pulse kicked at the wicked heat she found there.

Oh, yes. He was very dangerous.

She watched him as he ordered, his hand remaining on her the whole time. He was exactly what she'd hoped to find when coming to the dance club. Someone sexy to spend the evening with. To dance and flirt with. She should feel triumphant that she'd found him, but her unexpectedly intense reaction had her on edge. She wanted to stay in control, but Cole seemed like the kind of guy who would take charge of a situation. To get what he wanted. A confused rush of fear and excitement coursed through her. It would be safer to thank him and leave.

But when he turned his attention back to her she knew there was no way she was leaving. He handed her a lemon drop and she looked at him in surprise.

"That's what you're drinking, right?"

"Yes." He'd been paying attention. Was he as attracted to her as she was to him? It had been so long since she'd had any type of innocent flirtation with a guy that she'd forgotten how nice it was to be a man's only focus. Yet Meredith was fairly certain there was nothing innocent about this particular man. A ball of nerves bunched in her stomach, and she sipped her drink. She would just have to be careful.

"What were you doing with that guy?" Cole's question startled her. He studied her carefully as she answered.

"I was looking for someone to dance with, and it seemed like a good idea at the time." She shrugged.