CHAPTER 13

The afternoon of the second Saturday in April was breezy, and a cool wind blew through the streets of Edgartown, a prime tourist destination on Martha’s Vineyard. Much like Star Harbor, Edgartown oozed New England charm with its beautiful Victorian-style whaling homes and its quiet, tree-lined streets. Julie peered out across Water Street from underneath the shade of a large umbrella at a sidewalk café. A few early tourists walked up and down the sidewalks, shopping, laughing, and eating ice cream. A cashmere shop across the way had its windows open and next door, a tiny antique furniture shop displayed an elegant iron chaise outside. Julie sighed softly, reached for her iced tea, and leaned back in her chair.

“You feeling okay, Julie?” Lisa asked from a nearby seat.

“Oh, definitely. I’m so glad you and Mitch invited me to spend the afternoon with you on the Vineyard.”

“Our pleasure,” Mitch said, adjusting his Red Sox baseball cap over his nut-brown hair. “It’s great to have a day off from the lab, and man, do I need the time to recharge! Not that my research on bioluminescent phytoplankton isn’t scintillating, but a guy’s gotta take a break.” He crossed his arms behind his head in an easy gesture.

Lisa rolled her eyes as Julie laughed.

“Did your presentation at the Spring Fair go well this morning?” Lisa asked.

“Yes. The Kingsport EMTs were great, and I think folks really responded well to the demonstration.”

“I’m glad. Stuff like that is actually good for business. Gets our name out there so people won’t go to Barnstable for their primary care.”

Julie nodded, not as much caught up in her work as she would have been, say, a month ago. If doing a demonstration at the Star Harbor Spring Fair helped business, great. If not, her practice would survive. Just as she’d told Cole when he’d asked her to participate, she’d done it for Star Harbor. And truth be told, for him, too. She smiled, remembering how happy Cole had been with the turnout. When she’d left him at the fair, everything was going smoothly.

“It was a good call to head to the farmers’ market,” she said, changing the subject as she nudged the canvas tote at her feet, which was filled to the brim with fresh vegetables. “And that homemade apricot jam. Mmmm …” she said, remembering the sample she’d tasted at the market. “I should have gotten more than just the one jar.”

“Speaking of sweets,” Lisa interjected, “when we’re done with our drinks, what do you say we get some fudge at Murdick’s?”

“That’s so touristy,” Julie responded, wrinkling up her nose.

“Of course! That’s why we came. So we could be the tourists in a waterfront town,” Lisa said energetically. “Besides,” she added, winking, “all the cool kids have fudge.” She pointed surreptitiously to a skinny little kid on the sidewalk who was happily chomping on some of the sweet confection.

“Okay, you’ve convinced me,” Julie said, laughing. “But only if we can get Rocky Road. And we have to hurry. I want to make the next ferry home, and it’s at least a thirty-minute drive back to Vineyard Haven.”

“You got it.”

Julie finished her drink fast and they dashed to get some fudge before hopping in Mitch’s car. Unfortunately, as they were driving up to the ferry terminal, they heard the boat’s horn.

“Darn, we missed it,” Julie said, glancing at her watch.

“It’s okay,” Lisa said, as Mitch got in the line for vehicles. “We’ll just catch the next one.

It’s only another hour.”

Julie sighed. “I have dinner plans. I should have told you that before.”

“A hot date?” Mitch asked, waggling his eyebrows at her in the rearview mirror.

“Something like that,” she said as Lisa turned around to give her a wink, her smile a mile wide.

“So just call him and tell him you’ll be late,” Mitch suggested.

“I’ll text him,” Julie said as she and Lisa hopped out of the car and walked over to the ferry terminal to get their tickets. “I’m pretty sure he’s still at the Spring Fair, and it won’t be an issue. If we catch the five-forty-five ferry, I’ll make it, though barely.” Being pressed for time wasn’t ideal, but she’d just have to manage. She’d taken a big risk by asking Cole to have dinner with her at home, and of course it had to come back to bite her in the butt. But she was aching to take their relationship to the next level, and so far, Cole didn’t seem to be making any moves in that regard.

She’d expected a brief, passionate fling, and then to get back to her usual grind. But Cole had surprised her. That maturity in his gaze, his unwillingness to simply jump into bed—it all just made her like him more. They’d grown so close, and in such a short time, something she’d never found with anyone else. And in just the last few weeks, she’d been feeling more alive—more present—than she ever had before, and Cole was making that happen. He was more than just entertainment, and she needed to acknowledge that. She wanted—needed—to show him more of herself.

There was a little voice inside her head that told her she was falling too hard, too fast, but she pushed it aside. It wasn’t in her nature to do things halfway. It was either everything or nothing—including when it came to love. And so even though Cole had the power to break her heart, she couldn’t be afraid to take chances.

After they bought their return tickets, Julie pulled out her cell phone.

Julia Kensington: Hi. Going to be a bit late.

In less than 20 seconds, the phone buzzed.

Cole Grayson: Is this your way of telling me you don’t want to have dinner?

Julia Kensington: No way. We’re on. Come over at 7:30 instead.

Cole Grayson: Just call me when you get back so I’ll know when to head over.

Julia Kensington: Ok.

Cole didn’t text back right away, so she tucked her phone back into her pocket.

Lisa had gone back to the car, so Julie walked over to a newsstand and purchased a copy of the Barnstable Patriot to read while they waited. An opinion piece on page three about the perils of prescription drug abuse caught her eye. Ah, crap! Prescription pads. With everything else unfolding, it had slipped her mind. She’d already made some phone calls regarding the missing pads, but she wanted to tell Cole, too. Maybe he’d have some suggestions on what to do. Thinking that Mitch and Lisa might enjoy a few moments alone, she stayed in the terminal, read the paper, and breathed in the salty air until it was time to board the ferry.

As soon as the boat arrived in Falmouth and Mitch and Lisa had dropped her off in the ferry terminal parking lot, she got out her cell phone.

Julia Kensington: Back on the Cape.

Cole Grayson: Heading over now.

Satisfied that she’d done her duty, Julie waved goodbye to her friends, hopped into her own car, an old station wagon, and eased onto the road leading to Star Harbor. It was just getting dark and the glow of the sun setting over the trees made the sky look like strawberry sherbet, but she didn’t have time to enjoy it. She had to get home, fast.

When she pulled into her driveway, she glanced at her watch. Six-fifty. Not too late, but she hadn’t even changed her clothes, let alone started dinner. Leaping out of her car, she grabbed her packages. With full arms, she shut the door with her hip and walked briskly up the steps to her front door. She put one bag down and fumbled in her purse for her key. But when she heard a branch crack close by, she nearly dropped everything else she was holding.

Quickly, she turned, her key in her palm, clenched in her fist, ready to confront whoever—or whatever—was out there. As she strained to see into the darkness of the nearby woods, her heart started beating madly. Blood flashed through her veins.

Then, softly, Cole stepped out of the woods and slowly walked toward her.

“Good Lord, Cole, you just took two years off my life!” she said, still breathing hard.

“Why are you skulking around like that?”

“Were you here at all this afternoon?” he queried softly. “I didn’t see you after you left the Spring Fair.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” she said.

“You didn’t answer mine,” he countered.

Pushing back at her irritation, she said, “Look, I’m sorry I’m late. I thought my texts were pretty clear. Just come on in. I’ll get dinner started.” She turned to open the front door. Almost in a heartbeat, Cole vaulted up the porch stairs and stood right next to her, his hand on the door.

“I was worried about you and you’re blowing me off.” That little crease between his brows was back.

“You’re being ridiculous.”

“I’m not. Come here.” He gestured with his hand for her to follow him around the porch to the back of the house. This was not the way she’d envisioned their evening going. She trailed him reluctantly, half angry that he was acting so dictatorial and half angry at herself for following along. They reached the backyard and looked over the porch at the grass.

“What am I looking at?” Julie asked, peering into the dimming light.

“The grass.”

“The grass,” she repeated dully.

“Not just the grass. Look closely. There.” He pointed with a finger at some grass that had been tamped down. “You see that? That call you made about the peeping Tom got me concerned, so I came over early to check out your place again. Someone’s been up here between when I left for the Spring Fair and now. The trail of smashed grass runs from the toolshed to the clearing at the edge of the bluff. You didn’t hire anyone to do work around the house, did you?”

Julie shook her head and looked at Cole. “No.” She swallowed. “It means whoever came up here either skirted the grass from the road or came up the cliff wall. Are you sure a person did this, and not an animal?”

“Positive. Now please tell me if you were here at all this afternoon.”

He was still pushing this even though he knew she was safe. But could she fault him? This was part of his job—to be worried about people. “I went to the Vineyard with Lisa and Mitch.”

“When did you leave?”

“Right after the fair.”

He let out a sigh of relief. “So you weren’t here at all. Good.”

“Good? I thought you were angry I wasn’t.”

He shook his head. “If you’d been here when someone was casing your place, it would have been worse.”

“Worse for whom?”

“For you,” he said quickly, curling his hands into fists. “And for me. Just the thought of someone watching you—”

Julie put down the packages she was still holding and touched his forearm. When he didn’t flinch, she tentatively ran her fingers down his arm and took his hand in hers. “Sheriff, again, I appreciate your concern. Truly. But you have to take a deep breath and calm down. I’m not hurt. Nothing happened. The person who did this is obviously long gone. And you’re here now.”

Something in his gaze softened fractionally. It was the entry she needed. She squeezed his hand reassuringly. And then she pulled his head down and kissed him.

He’d been on the edge, and it was as if her gentle kiss released the tension he’d been holding inside. He needed the release, God knew how much, so he let the anger go, wrapping his arms around her waist and drawing her closer. With everyone else, he simply let his temper fly, but with Julie, he couldn’t. Even imagining how she’d react wasn’t something he wanted to do. Slowly, she was changing him. For her, he might be willing to confront that dark place inside himself he never wanted to revisit. He wanted to see love in her gaze, not pity or sympathy. He wanted her to see him without flinching, knowing exactly who he was and not looking away.

He pressed the palms of his hands against her back, loving the way she felt under his fingers, strong and slender and sweet. The tastes of fruit and chocolate were on her lips, and she was kissing him back like she couldn’t get enough.

She trusted him, despite everything he’d done. It was humbling. He knew, then and there, that he would do everything in his power to ensure that he didn’t betray that trust.

“Keys,” he croaked out.

Then he felt hard metal on his biceps. She was holding the keys but kept kissing him, obviously not wanting to break their connection.

He took the keys from her and tore his mouth away, unlocking the back door quickly. He shoved the packages inside with his feet, pulled her to him, and kicked the door closed. He tossed the keys in the vicinity of the hall table and pushed her back against the door, drinking her in. Windswept hair, a touch of sun on her cheeks, mouth curled in a slight smile, and those intelligent eyes watching him watch her.

He wanted to devour her, to show her exactly how hot she made him. He couldn’t hide his arousal, nor did he try. He simply pressed his body against hers, wanting her to know how strongly she affected him. Wanting her to understand that he needed her. For a split second, her eyes opened wider, and then her expression morphed into one of pure feminine smugness. If he didn’t want to kiss her senseless at that moment, he would have laughed. Little Julia Kensington was all grown up. And she was all his.

When he captured her mouth again and opened her lips with his own, she eagerly met his tongue, thrust for thrust. A jolt of lust started in his groin and radiated outward. Something primal in him screamed for him to take her, right there, against the door. But he couldn’t—not with her.

So he stopped kissing her, just for a second, and swept her up into his arms. Then he started walking.

“Please tell me we’re going where I think we’re going.”

He reached the bottom of the staircase and looked up, then back down at her face. “If you want me to stop, tell me now,” he said, praying she wouldn’t.

She reached up and wrapped both arms around his neck. “Don’t stop,” she whispered. “Please, don’t stop.”

“Thank God,” he groaned, kissing her temple, the only part of her body he could comfortably reach. He carried her up the stairs with ease and made a beeline for her bedroom. He placed her gently on her comforter and an instant later, he was on top of her, feeling her soft body under his.

Leaning on a forearm, he cupped her jaw in his other hand, kissing her eyes, her nose, her cheeks, and then her lips. She shuddered, and he ran the flat of his hand down her neck, over her breast, across the curve of her hip, and let it come to rest on her thigh. And then he reached down and slowly pushed her skirt up her leg, barely trusting himself not to ruin this fragile, beautiful thing he had going with her.

She moaned and wrapped her hand around the back of his head, deepening the kiss. His hand was on her thigh now, and her skin felt like the smoothest silk. At that moment, she was the only woman in the world, and he would do anything to please her. To make her understand how important she was. How important they were.

She would want to see him, first. Reluctantly, he pulled his hand off her leg and sat up.

“What are you—” she started, as he pulled off his jacket. But when his ribbed crewneck sweater came over his head, she stopped talking. She propped herself up on her elbows and was staring at him with blatant interest. As he watched, she ran her gaze across his shoulders, over his pectorals, and down his abs. Then he leaned over and unlaced his boots, kicking them and his socks off before he stood. He locked eyes with her and slowly, deliberately, undid his belt and pushed his jeans and boxers to the floor in one movement. Then he stood there and let her examine him.

But she wouldn’t break his gaze.

“You can look at me,” he said softly. “All of me.”

She blinked. A second later, her eyes flickered low, and she did a double-take.

“C’mon, Doc. You’ve seen it all before, right?”

Julie jerked her gaze up. “Let’s just say this is one for the textbooks.”

Cole laughed. At least she wasn’t staring at his damned scar, like every other woman had. He reached out his hand, and when she took it, he pulled her up. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

She shook her head. “No, but you keep saying it.”

“Because it’s true. And I’m going to make you believe it.” Then he kissed her again, and it was as if he were drugged. He’d shown his hand. Now it was time for her to show hers. Carefully, he pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it aside. Then he unclasped her bra, this time as smoothly as he could manage. That went on the floor, too. He tugged at her skirt and it fell in a soft swish of fabric. He swept a finger inside the band of her panties and pushed them off her hips. When she was as naked as he, he kissed her, then walked her backward and lowered her to the bed.

Her cheeks were flushed, her nipples hard, the soft swell of her belly moving in time with her breath. She was long and lean, but womanly in all the right places. Just perfect.

“God, you’re gorgeous,” he said, gazing at her.

She traced the scar on his cheekbone with a fingertip. “So are you,” she said, staring back.

He skimmed his hand down the side of her body, brushing past her shoulder, her rounded breasts, her narrow waist, and her flared hip. She gave a little shiver, her skin sensitive to his touch. He reversed the direction of his hand, moving up her body. When he reached her breast, he caressed it gently, and then more firmly, before bending his head to suck.

As the first wave of pleasure hit, she closed her eyes. When he began to softly twist her other nipple, she moaned and began to squirm. Keeping one breast in his mouth, he slowly moved his hand from the other breast down her body, until he found her core.

Gently, he cupped her in his hand and felt her dampness on his fingers. “You’re already wet,” he mumbled, not knowing how he’d gotten lucky enough to find a woman who responded to his touch so readily. Sliding his arm under her neck to bring her closer, he kissed her parted lips and slowly slipped a finger inside her. Her gasp was swallowed up by his mouth.

As he pressed up against a sensitive spot, she shuddered. When he moved his finger out and used his fingertip to circle her swollen flesh, she let out a ragged breath. With his fingers and tongue, he worked her up to a frenzy and as her excitement grew, so did his.

Unsure of how long he’d be able to last, he paused and nipped gently up the side of her neck. She shivered and grabbed his back. It took all of his energy to keep himself in check.

“Hang on,” he said, pulling away and moving to his jeans. He quickly found the small foil packet he was looking for and got the condom on. He hadn’t known tonight was going to be the night, but they’d been moving in this direction and he’d wanted to be prepared. As much as he wanted to sink into her waiting depths, he knew he couldn’t yet. Her pleasure was the most important thing to him.

He started kissing her again, making his own head swim. His shaft pulsed, hard and hot, but he shoved the sensations aside. Only she mattered.

When he thought she was close, he rolled onto his back, swinging her on top. Surprise was evident on her beautiful face as she straddled him. He wanted her to feel powerful, in control.

“Cole—” she started uncertainly.

“For you.”

Her eyes widened, and then she closed them tightly. When she opened them, her expression showed that she knew exactly what he was doing for her. Slowly, she moved down until he was positioned at her entrance. As his hardness touched her softness, she moaned.

Tilting her hips, she guided him, gasping as he moved inside, inch by inch. She was tight, so very tight, and he forced himself to keep still, to wait until she had worked her body around his. Her soft flesh stretched around his shaft, straining to accommodate his girth. She bit her lower lip but didn’t stop, sinking down, then moving up fractionally, going slowly to allow him to fit. The slide and pull was pleasurable agony and he held his breath, both wanting it to end and wishing it would continue forever.

Finally, after several unbearably long moments, he was fully seated in her body. He let out the breath he’d been holding, but she remained motionless, hardly breathing at all. “You okay?” he whispered, holding onto her arms.

Julie nodded, her eyes still trained on his. She couldn’t hide her surprise, as if she couldn’t believe what she’d just done.

“Come here,” he said, pulling her forward. Her body’s shifting was exquisite torture, but he ignored it. “Don’t slap me, okay?” he whispered into her ear. She began to laugh, thank God, and he wrapped his arms around her, tension leaving his own body.

Then he waited, letting her adjust to having him inside her. He was large, she was tight, and he knew she must feel shockingly full. He felt her force herself to relax, bit by bit. When he thought she was ready, he pushed her up slightly so he could massage her breasts and rub his thumbs over her nipples, hoping it would help bring that familiar need building up inside her once again. She seemed to welcome it, pressing her palms on the backs of his hands.

Cole plucked and stroked, urging her forward. She flipped her head back, that glorious golden hair spilling over her shoulders and her face glowing with sensual pleasure. When she began to make small, tentative movements with her hips, he groaned and flexed his own. She let out a soft breath of air and slid up on his body, then slowly down again, her silky hair tickling his chest. Every time he hit home, it felt like heaven.

After a few more strokes, they moved together more easily, finding a rhythm. She was bolder now, more confident. Her eyes were closed, a little crease forming between her brows as she worked toward the ultimate satisfaction. She was close—he could feel her sex clamping down, reaching for it. When her thighs began to tremble, he rubbed a thumb just where she needed it most, and she exploded, arching her back and nearly bucking off him in the process.

Watching her come undone was the most erotic thing he’d ever seen. With a roar, he rolled them both so that he was on top and plunged inside in deep strokes. She wrapped her long legs around him and pressed her heels into his back. Within seconds, he was there too, hoarsely shouting out at his moment of release.