CHAPTER 7

“Thanks, that was good.” Cole said as he pushed the plate away from him.

Rose had made them a simple meal of macaroni and cheese while she finished her first glass of wine. Although she was still quiet and withdrawn, Cole could see color returning to her cheeks.

“It’s a pleasure. Actually I should be thanking you.” Caught off guard Cole looked at her and found her whiskey brown eyes on him. He tried to ignore the attraction that simmered between them. Now wasn’t the time to act on it or to admit that Rose was the reason he had come back to the Hamptons on a Saturday afternoon.

“For what?” He looked away trying to sound casual.

“For being here. For making me tea.” She smiled sadly as she collected their plates and placed them in the sink. She turned around to face him, leaning against the sink. “You were right, I don’t want to be alone and since I’m not very good at conversation at the moment how about we watch a movie?”

“Sure.” Cole said standing up and moving to her DVD collection in the living room. Between the classics and comedies were a variety of primetime crime series. “You like your crime.” He said before thinking and mentally chastened himself.

“On TV yes because I find it interesting.” She joined him and started scanning through the titles. “In real life it’s not so interesting, it’s just sad.”

Cole didn’t know how to respond to that so he continued scanning through the titles. “Anything you’d prefer watching?”

Rose shrugged. “You pick.”

She sat down on the large sofa facing the television set as Cole pulled out a DVD.

“You’ve got mail?”

“Sure, I haven’t seen it in a long time.” Rose said pulling the throw over and kicking off her shoes.

Cole sat down next to Rose, chastening himself. He should’ve sat in one of the chairs. It was going to be a lot harder to keep his hands off her when she was snuggling next to him. Since it would be too obvious to move at the moment he sat back and hoped Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks would take his mind off Rose.

“I can’t believe he didn’t go to her. What an ass, he just leaves her sitting there with the rose.” Rose said as she took a sip of the wine that Cole had poured for them as the movie started.

“But he can’t admit it now. She hates him. He needs to wait until she gets to know him better.”

“I don’t care, he’s still an ass he’s closing her business.” Rose said defiantly.

Cole laughed. “This is why I don’t like rom-coms. I get the guys side of it and women always just keep saying they’re asses.”

Rose smirked as her eyes met his. “Well they are! Look at Sam, I thought we were in a relationship, meanwhile I was just one of the many he had on the side.”

Her words were easy but Cole could still hear the pain behind them. “Not all men cheat Rose.”

“Really? Tell me Cole, have you ever cheated?” Rose sat up facing him and crossed her legs. “Come on be honest?”

Cole sighed ruefully. “Yes, but there were extenuating circumstances.”

“Like what? She didn’t satisfy you, you lived far away? Come on, all cheaters have an excuse and believe it’s valid.”

“Actually I don’t have an excuse. It was fifth grade and my girlfriend was Lisa Spade. We held hands once a week when I walked her home each Friday. One Friday she was sick and had stayed home and her friend Lauren asked me to walk her home instead. Since Lauren’s house wasn’t out of the way I agreed. I didn’t even hold her hand. But come Monday, Lisa tells me I’m a lying cheating sack of fleas, and that Friday Taylor Robinson started walking her home.”

Rose laughed at his childhood memory. For a moment Cole could see the weight of Emmaline’s death had lifted. “You call that cheating? I’m talking about something past the ninth grade at least?”

“No.”

“Just no?”

“Just no.” Cole leaned closer, their faces mere inches apart. “I haven’t been in a relationship since Lisa Spade. But if I am one day I can guarantee I won’t cheat. That’s why I don’t commit.”

“Right.” Rose smirked. “You’re a player, so if you don’t make promises you don’t break them?”

“Something like that.” Cole said. At least he didn’t hurt anyone, he thought to himself.

“And you think just because you don’t commit or make promises no girl has ever fallen in love with you?”

“I…” How did he answer that? He had never stuck around long enough to find out.

“Just as I thought. If they did, it wasn’t your problem.”

Cole felt his temper start to rise. “Look I don’t have relationships because I don’t have the time. I’d rather be honest with a woman before…well before rather than have her wondering when I’m going to call her.”

Rose smiled at him seductively and leaned closer. “So as long as she knows you’re not up for a relationship you’re in the clear?”

“Rose?” Cole asked confused. He had seen many women come on to him over the years; being handsome, Cole found more a hazard than a blessing. There were times when it suited him, especially when he was looking for some harmless fun. But he had never imagined his quirky petite neighbor coming onto him.

“What?” She asked innocently as she licked her lips. “I know you don’t do relationships, and I know it’ll only be tonight.”

The credits had started rolling on the screen making turning toward the TV futile.

Her brown eyes enchanted him as his gaze drifted to her lips; they were open in invitation, a whisper away from his own.

Before he could stop himself he closed the distance and brushed his lips over hers. The soft touch, the innocence of the kiss had arousal pooling in his groin. Wanting more, he tangled his fingers into her hair and pulled her against him. He teased her lips open with his tongue; she didn’t hesitate but gave him access.

She tasted of wine and something mysterious that shot through his system like a drug.

She pulled away momentarily and moved over him, sitting on his lap with her legs on either side of his waist. She pressed onto his lap rubbing against his arousal that was already rock hard.

Gripping her hips, he kissed her even harder. She gasped as he meandered down her throat. It was that gasp that brought him back to reality.

“Rose, not like this.”

“What?” She asked her eyes heavy lidded with wine and arousal.

“Not tonight, God knows I want to, but not tonight.”

As the memory of the day’s events washed over Rose, Cole saw her eyes watering as she all but jumped from his lap to her side of the couch. “I’m sorry.”

Cole leaned over and brushed a tear from her cheek. “Don’t be sorry, I feel it too, I can’t think of anything I want more. But I don’t want you to regret it in the morning.”

Rose nodded somberly and Cole knew that was the end of the conversation.

Standing up he walked over to the DVD collection. “What do you want to watch next?”