CHAPTER 12

“I have a confession to make.” Julie was seated in the passenger seat of Cole’s Charger as they sped north on Interstate 495. The Saturday morning was bright, the windows were cracked, and the wind gently tossed her hair. It was a fine day for a drive, and it felt good to be out of Star Harbor, especially given the events of the past couple of weeks.

Cole glanced at her. “What’s that?”

“I Googled ‘opening day’ just to see what all the hoopla was about.”

He laughed. “I’d have expected nothing less from you, Doc. You excited?”

“Very. I can’t believe my first Red Sox game is going to be the opening game of the season.”

“Blows my mind that you haven’t been to a game before.”

“I always wanted to go, but I was so focused on my classes and lab work in med school that I could never make time. I’m sorry to say that the same held true while I was doing my residency.”

“Well, I’m honored to be the one to initiate you. You’re in for a treat. But there’s someplace I need to stop first.”

“Where?”

“Work.” He smiled at her, his blue eyes glinting hard and bright in the sunshine.

“But you work in Star Harbor.”

“Not always.”

“Can you give me a hint? A clue?”

“Nope,” he said firmly. “Just sit back and enjoy the ride. The errand won’t take long, so just relax. We’ll get to the ballpark on time so I can buy you a chili dog.” She gave a little snort and he laughed. “Aw, Doc, you can’t eat healthy all the time.”

“I try to.”

“Nah. I can see it in your eyes. You love bad-for-you food. You’re jonesing for a chili dog right now, aren’t you? Don’t deny it.”

Now she really laughed. She liked this side of him—playful, and a little bit cheeky. She was actually starting to enjoy his sense of humor, something she hadn’t even known he possessed until a week or so ago. Up to that point, pretty much only one word could have summed the man up—intense. He still was intense, but it was tempered by that softer side she was starting to see peek out.

Her own attitude had adjusted, too. Once she’d wrapped her head around the fact that he was actually more than just a good-time guy, she could accept that their outrageous physical chemistry wasn’t a fluke, either. As he’d promised, he’d been staying at her place every night. On the couch. He’d been the perfect gentleman, and quite honestly, that had been a problem. A big one. Because she wanted him—seriously wanted him—and he seemed determined to take it slow.

It seemed that regardless of what she was doing, her mind would always drift back to their few brief, heated encounters. And his body—his beautiful, flawed body, with all its scars and ink and life. Wondering what it would be like to have those big hands on her again, to have him sink inside her and take her over the edge, was making her a little crazy—and more than a little hot. Her cheeks warmed with the vivid image of their bodies, naked, intertwined, in her oversized bed.

To get her mind off Cole, if only for a moment, she turned and looked out the window.

The trees lining the highway whipped by in rapid speed—pine, mostly, but also some still-bare deciduous ones. In the next few weeks, leaves would begin to unfurl from the buds and wildflowers would start to bloom. A palette of pastels, light green, yellow, pink, and purple, would cover the countryside. The soil, damp and fresh, would give off its loamy smell as new life began and nature showed its true colors.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, wondering where they were going first.

Cole looked over at Julie, who was doing exactly what he’d suggested—enjoying the ride. Of course, a few seconds before she’d been blushing. He didn’t have to be a mind reader to know what she was thinking about, and it sure as hell wasn’t baseball. Good. Let her wonder what he was like in the sack. Let her want him as much as he wanted her.

She’d been more than clear about why she’d finally agreed to go out with him—fun. Only thing was, he wasn’t seeing it that way. She was the real deal—a keeper—whether she realized it or not, and he wanted more from her. He was tired of being so damned nice, but one wrong move and he could blow every ounce of trust they’d built between them. He almost laughed aloud. Cole Grayson, nice. Not a word he would ever have used to describe himself, but there he was, Mister Nice Guy, a role he’d never thought he’d be playing, and it was all because of one sexy-sweet doctor sitting right next to him.

He wondered when she’d figure out that he was playing all right. Playing for keeps. With Julie in his life, he was gaining the courage to look at things more optimistically, to move on from his past, and to embrace the future. No way was he giving that up.

They’d been driving for a little over an hour. He’d turned the car onto Route 3, and it was evident they were heading into Boston.

Julie sat up in her seat and began to pay attention.

He pulled off Route 3 onto Storrow Drive and headed for Back Bay. After another fifteen minutes, he had the car parked on a side street.

As he helped Julie out of the car, he couldn’t help grinning. “You know where we are?”

“No idea. Would you like to tell me?”

“You’ll see in a moment. Gotta work, but it won’t take long, and there are some people I want you to meet.”

Cole held her hand as they walked down the sidewalk. He looked down at her. She was dressed simply and her skirt showed just the right amount of leg. Gleaming in the sunlight, her light hair touched her back. He walked more slowly than usual, knowing that she’d need to take a few steps to keep up with one of his long strides. As if she realized he was taking it slower for her, she looked up at him and smiled, her eyes crinkling at their edges. Something tugged at his heart.

Before long, they arrived at their destination. The Boston Police Department. His life for three long years. The building was modern yet had a retro feel. It had been designed on a plaza with brown and cream-colored marble in a geometric pattern. Small square glass windows two stories tall lined the entranceway. On the right was a huge silver radio tower.

“Come on in,” Cole said, holding the door for her. She slipped into the building and they both passed through the metal detectors that were situated just inside the entrance. Then they headed to the main offices.

Cole walked inside and was immediately greeted with shouts and cries of welcome.

“Cole, great to see ya!” a burly man with gray hair exclaimed. “How’re ya doing, big sheriff?”

“Great, Rick, just great,” Cole responded.

“How’s it going back home?” a ruddy, red-haired man asked.

Cole gave Julie a little smile. “Good, Jeff. Got a frosty reception at first, but I think they’re warming up to me.” As a tall, powerfully built woman approached, Cole raised his hand in greeting. “Cannon, great to see you.”

“You too, Grayson,” Trina said with a smile. “We all miss you around here. Joe especially.”

“Where is Zee?” he asked, looking around.

“Right here!” a voice called out. He turned and saw his old partner, Joe Zachary, coming toward him. Physically, the big man hadn’t changed in the six months since he’d last seen him. The department had a running joke that Cole and Joe must do their workouts together, since they had almost identical muscle tone, and Zee looked as fit as he always had. But there was something in his face that told a different story. His friend looked weary, almost downtrodden. Whatever it was, it would probably best be discussed when they didn’t have the entire gang surrounding them.

“Zee,” Cole said, embracing him in a bear hug. “How are you doing?” He stepped back and gave his ex-partner a searching gaze.

“Been better,” Joe admitted. “But we can talk later. Why don’t you introduce me?” he asked, looking pointedly at Julie.

Cole wrapped his arm around Julie and pulled her close. “Gang, I’d like you to meet Julia Kensington, Star Harbor’s finest doctor. Julie, this is Rick, Jeff, Trina, and Joe.”

“Hello, everyone,” Julie said. “Nice to meet you. And don’t be fooled by Cole’s introduction—I’m Star Harbor’s only doctor!”

Everyone was laughing when a man with a booming voice spoke up. “Aren’t you going to introduce me, too?” he asked. Cole turned and a man close to his own height and build, but with brown eyes and salt-and-pepper hair, sauntered up to greet him.

“Chief Michaelson, good to see you.” Cole looked the chief dead in the eye as the two men shook hands. Michaelson looked exactly the same. Same flattened nose, the result of being broken half a dozen times. Same creases around the eyes, although he noticed they were a bit deeper. Same hard, no-nonsense look. Some things never changed.

“Thought you’d gone off to greener pastures,” the chief said, his mouth unsmiling but his eyes twinkling.

“Yes, sir.”

“How are things going?”

“Well, sir, I have four deputies and three patrol cars, my own station house, and the full support of Barnstable County. I’d say things are going well.”

“Thought you’d make a run for it here,” Michaelson said, a tease in his eyes.

“I doubt anyone could replace you, sir.”

“You were always a smooth one, Grayson. Yes, indeed.” Now the chief was really smiling. “It’s good to see you, too, son.”

Cole introduced Julie to Michaelson before saying, “Chief, I have something I’d like to float by you. Mind if we go somewhere a bit more private?”

Chief Michaelson nodded his assent. Cole turned to Julie. “I’ll be right back, Doc. Stay with Joe and the gang. They’ll take good care of you.”

“All right.”

Cole had trusted his life to these men and women for three years. He knew Julie would be in good hands for ten minutes.

Julie enjoyed talking to Cole’s old colleagues and learning a little bit more about what made Cole tick, but she was glad when he finally finished with Chief Michaelson. The group had started to grill her for details about their relationship that she wasn’t quite ready to give. Still, she couldn’t fault them—they were all cops, after all. She and Cole said their goodbyes and drove to the Fens, right near Fenway Park. They had to park far from the ballpark, but it was a nice day, and Julie didn’t mind walking.

“I can’t wait to take you to your first Red Sox game,” Cole said, holding out his hand. “Are you ready to make history?”

“Yes,” Julie said, placing her hand in his. “Let’s go.” As they got closer, they joined the throngs of people decked out in their team’s colors who were all heading toward the stadium. There was a sense of excitement and community. Children giggled in anticipation and men talked loudly about the starting pitcher’s statistics. The energy was infectious, and Julie felt her heart rate increase as they moved closer to the entrance.

Once they had passed through the gates, the already impressive sound level increased tenfold. They were pressed in between hundreds of people all heading in different directions. Now, fans’ voices were intermingled with vendors hawking their wares—programs, posters, caps, and foam hands to wave in solidarity. The smell of hot salted peanuts wafted through the air. Just as quickly, it was replaced by the meaty aroma of bratwurst and the tang of sauerkraut. Everything was at once foreign and familiar.

Cole kept his hand tightly clasped around hers. Enviously, she looked up at him, wishing she had a few more inches of height to see above the crowd. Soon they found their seats, a few rows from the field on the first-base side.

“I’m going to get us drinks and food. What would you like?”

“What are you having? A chili dog?” she teased.

“Nope. A cold beer and a hot brat.”

“Are the brats any good?”

“The best.”

“Then I’ll have the same.”

“I knew you had it in you, Doc.” He sounded triumphant.

“What, to eat a bratwurst? Like I tell my young patients—hot dogs and sausages are ‘sometimes’ foods. Now certainly qualifies as a special ‘sometime.’ ”

Cole grinned. “You won’t be disappointed.”

He disappeared, reappearing with a cardboard tray of food and drinks a few minutes later.

“Thanks,” she said, taking the beer and gingerly placing it in her seat’s cup holder. Then she took the bratwurst from him, and while he was watching, took a big bite, enjoying the spicy, meaty flavor. When her mouth was clear, she glanced around. “How many people do you think will be here?” she asked Cole.

“Capacity is just over thirty-five thousand. I think the stadium will reach its maximum, this being opening day and all.”

Julie smiled, then sat back and enjoyed her bratwurst and beer, along with the spectacle.

They spent the afternoon in true Boston fashion—watching the Red Sox soundly beat the Baltimore Orioles. Cole answered her questions about game rules, and she loved taking it all in. She especially liked the feeling of his hand in hers and watching him roar with excitement when a Red Sox player scored.

After the last out had been called, Cole and Julie walked out of the stadium with the rest of the crowd. It took a long time for them to make their way home, given the foot and car traffic exiting the stadium. By that time she was tired, and it was a relief to finally watch Cole turn onto the Cape’s Route 28, taking them back to Star Harbor.

The spring evening was actually warm, and Cole drove more slowly than usual. He rolled down the windows a bit so they could enjoy the early-evening air. Julie looked out and up. No stars yet, but the moon was just beginning its ascent into the evening sky. As they drew closer to the end of the Cape, the salty smell of the sea became more intense. Coupled with the musky perfume of the forest, it was pleasant and familiar, and Julie sighed, relaxing into the seat of Cole’s car.

It was a few minutes before Julie realized that Cole had turned off Route 28 onto a side road that led to the western part of the Cape.

“Aren’t we heading back to Star Harbor?” she asked.

Cole glanced over and gave her a smile. “Not just yet,” he said. “There’s something I want to show you.”

Cole drove for ten more minutes, winding down a woodsy road that appeared to lead toward the water. Julie guessed they were somewhere in the vicinity of North Falmouth. The road let out into a dirt clearing that overlooked Buzzard’s Bay. The clearing was about fifteen feet above the water, with a small cliff that Julie instinctively knew must lead sharply down to the small beach below.

He rolled up the windows and cut the engine, then came around to help her out. As soon as she exited the car, she was hit by the heady aroma of damp earth and new growth and the ever-present smell of the water that you could never really escape living on the Cape. A few crickets chirped in the woods behind them, and the water crashed on the shore. In the dim light, she could just make out a few ships bobbing up and down on the bay. Soon they’d put on their night lights, and tiny spots of brightness would twinkle across the water.

The town of Mattapoisett would be directly opposite them across the bay, a low, dark line on the horizon. Without warning, a hard, brief pang of longing twinged in her chest as she thought about her parents, so she turned to Cole. He simply smoldered, his black hair tousled slightly from the wind, his heavy-lidded blue eyes trained on her, his lips curled in a half-smile.

“You like?” he asked in a low voice.

“Very much so,” she responded. “This has been a day full of surprises.”

“Good ones, I hope.” He took her hand in his and stroked the back of it with his large, callused thumb. Julie’s temperature began to rise. “Very good ones.”

“My brothers and I used to come out here on weekends to get away from Star Harbor,” Cole said, nodding toward the water. “We’re on a small peninsula. There aren’t any houses out here, so we’d let loose, drink, do whatever.” He gave Julie a sly grin. “But you were such a good girl. I bet you never came out here, did you?”

Julie shook her head. “No. I didn’t. But you knew that already.”

“What would you have done back then if I’d asked you to join us?” He gave her a wicked smile.

“I definitely wouldn’t have come.”

“And now?” he asked in a low voice, inching closer to her. She stared at his mouth. Couldn’t look away.

“Now I would. If you asked.”

“I’m asking.” He bent his head and kissed her. The warm pressure of his lips on hers elicited a tingling sensation that started in her head and slowly trickled down her body. After kissing her lips for a few moments, he trailed his way down the side of her neck with his mouth, while his hand remained entwined in hers.

“I brought a blanket for us to sit on,” he said warmly. “Come on.” He nodded his head in the direction of the large blanket he must have laid out while Julie was watching the water. He eased himself down to it, then helped Julie to sit directly in front of him. She sank down onto its heathery softness. Cole wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her back until she leaned on him, her back pressed against his chest.

Julie nestled into his warmth, feeling the security of his strong arms, the hardness of his thighs as they pressed on either side of her hips. Although she was slim, not small, Cole’s large size made her feel petite. She closed her eyes, enjoying it. Even though they hadn’t been closed for that long, when she opened them, it was darker outside. Little spots of light twinkled on the bay and across the water.

“It’s beautiful, Cole. Thank you for bringing me here.”

“My pleasure,” he said, kissing the back of her head. She smiled and turned, knowing he’d take advantage of the proximity of her lips to his. As soon as she’d turned to give him access, he kissed her. Slowly at first, then with growing heat.

He turned her body so that she was facing him. Then he enveloped her in his arms, easily rolling her beneath him, the crook of his arm cushioning her neck. She lay on her back, Cole above her. Above his head, a few early evening stars glimmered. She looked back to his face. He was watching her watch the sky.

“You’ve never done this outside, have you?” he asked, a smile curving on his lips.

“Not like this, no,” she admitted.

“Just lie back and relax,” he said, before kissing her gently. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, reveling in the feeling of his body covering hers. It felt good, right, real. She opened her mouth and then he simply devoured it with his own, his tongue slipping inside with familiarity. Spearing his hand into her long hair, he gripped her scalp gently while he concentrated on her lips. Slowly, he ran his other palm down her neck, her shoulder, her arm, and clasped her hand. For a long while they lay like that, wrapped in each other’s arms.

The pleasure that had started a spark when he first kissed her grew, flames diffusing out from her lips, down her neck, lapping at her breasts. She moaned, and Cole unclasped his hand from hers and slid it to her hip. Slowly, he moved it up until his palm covered her soft flesh.

She lifted up and into him, urging him to continue, loving the way her nipple hardened in his hand, relishing the firm bulge of his erection pressed against her inner thigh. When had she grown this wanton? Cole was doing this to her—breaking down her defenses until she simply had to let him in. No one had been this deliberate in her seduction. He was courting her, one date at a time, one kiss at a time. He was forcing her to slow down to his pace, to take her time, to look inward to see what it was that she really wanted. But that was a good thing, a very good thing, because then she had more time to savor exactly what he was offering. She’d spent years on her academic education and on figuring out how to manage on her own, but pretty much no time at all on her social life. Now she was making up for it, in spades.

He kneaded her breast gently, and when her brain caught up with her body, a surge of excitement overwhelmed her. Tearing her mouth away from his, she nibbled down his neck. In response, he buried his face in the place between her neck and her shoulder, nipping softly at her skin with his teeth. Somehow, Cole knew exactly what to do as the fire grew hotter. His touch grew firmer, yet no less gentle.

She wanted him—all of him. He could see into her darkest desires, knew what she needed.

Just as Julie was mentally willing him to lift her shirt, to push her bra aside and to suckle on her breasts the way he had before, the way she liked, he slid his hand lower. But instead of following through and sliding his hand under her shirt as she expected, he moved it down her leg to her knee. Then, he began to move it up, slowly pushing her skirt up, past her knee, past her thigh, higher and higher.

As the cool night air hit her exposed leg, his intentions became clear. “Cole!” she exclaimed, opening her eyes wide.

“C’mon, Doc. Let me make you feel good,” he said, massaging her thigh.

“What if someone comes!”

“Mmm …” he said, nuzzling her cheek, “don’t worry about it. A public sex act is only a misdemeanor.”

“Oh, my God, Cole!” she said. She was excited as much from the physical sensations as she was from the curious thrill of potential discovery, and a jolt of pleasure went straight to her core. She was enjoying the naughtiness as much as he was. And she was no longer surprised at her reaction.

“Don’t worry, Julie.” He kissed her neck, then her mouth. “We’re not going to have sex here tonight.” He placed a hand on the side of her face, cupping her jawbone.

“Oh, um, I mean, that’s not what I …” she trailed off. Did he mean they were going to have sex later, in a different location?

“Is it bad that I like making you stammer?” he said, brushing her lips with his thumb. “You usually have an answer for everything.”

She shook off her embarrassment and glanced around. “Seriously, are you sure this is a good idea?”

“What are they going to do? Arrest the sheriff of Star Harbor? We’re not breaking the law. At least, not yet.”

He moved his hand down her body and once again slid it up her leg, then pushed aside her panties and eased a fingertip inside her.

Julie gasped with pleasure, welcoming him in. She was ready, willing, and simply waiting for his touch to unleash the desire that had been unfurling. He pulled his fingertip out, circled her swollen, damp flesh, and then pushed it back inside slowly, ever so slowly. He repeated the motion again and again, until she could barely stand it. All the while he kissed her, and his lips were the sweetest thing of all, dragging her under.

Cole moved his mouth away from hers and bent his head, nibbling on a peaked nipple. Her sensitive flesh responded instinctively, sending a shock of fire through her body. And that was all it took.

Without warning, she shattered around him, light flashing behind her closed eyes. He drank her gasp into his open mouth, her soft cry fading out almost as soon as it had sounded.

Julie drifted back to reality slowly. Cole had shifted her into a spooning position, lying down, her back once again pressed to his chest. Her head rested on his inner arm, but the soft blanket was still underneath the rest of her body. She opened her eyes slowly, acclimating to the pitch-black darkness that had crept up around them.

Then Cole shifted, and something hard and hot pressed against her backside.

“Oh, Cole,” she said, turning and reaching for him, “please let me.” She looked up into his eyes, black mirrors in the night.

“Don’t,” Cole said in a low rumble as he grabbed her hand and held it immobile. “This day is for you. There’s a reason I wanted to be here, not at your house.”

Because then they wouldn’t have stopped. And he knew she really didn’t want to stop.

“Let’s keep going,” she urged. She couldn’t allow him to focus only on her pleasure while suppressing his own.

“No,” he said, pulling her close and speaking low and dark into her ear. “When we make love, it is not going to be on a blanket outside in the dark. I want to see every inch of your body,” he growled. “We’re going to need hours.”

His precise words were like a shot to her senses. She shuddered and then offered up her lips. He pressed his to hers without taking things further—his kiss chaste, yet with such passion behind it that it almost blew her away. Then he tucked her head against his chest and she breathed in deeply, trying to imprint his scent on her brain. They lay like that for a long while, the night growing cool around her as she remained warm, curled in Cole’s arms.

After a while, he spoke. “Let’s get you home.”

He helped her up, folded the blanket, tossed it in the trunk of his car, and showed her to the passenger seat. Then he drove slowly to Star Harbor and when they reached her house, they walked together to her front door.

“So,” he asked. “Did you like feeling like a bad girl tonight?”

Julie reached up to wind her hands around his neck. “Yes,” she whispered, just before she kissed him deeply, the way she knew he liked. He returned the favor, wrapping his arms around her waist.

After she unwound herself from him, he quirked an eyebrow. “Maybe we can do it again, sometime,” he said, wry humor in his tone.

She gave him a secret, sultry smile, brushing her hand from his shoulder down the hard planes of his chest and stopping at his belt buckle. “We’ll see.”

She was rewarded when he let out his breath in a long hiss. The joke was over, and it was a secret pleasure to see that his control wasn’t always kept in tight check.

“Woman,” he growled. “You’d better get inside and upstairs now before this night ends differently than the way I’d planned.”

He was just standing there, hands by his sides as he tried not to touch her. God, she wanted him! “Let me cook dinner for you next Saturday night,” she found herself saying. Cole was staying with her, but he’d kept a low profile—eating dinner with Val most nights and simply showing up when she was done working. Now that she’d gotten a taste of what he could be like, she wanted more.

“Dinner sounds good,” he said slowly. “Is seven all right?”

“Perfect.” She reached out her hand. He took it and squeezed gently.

“Perfect,” he agreed.

Suppressing a smile, she fished her keys out of her purse and opened the door, letting them both into the house. He walked her to the stairs, where she turned back to him. “Good night, Cole. Thank you for a completely wonderful day.”

When Cole smiled back, that little coil around her heart squeezed tighter. She was falling for him. And it felt good.