For Everly

  His hands moved along her body, caressing her skin as he waged his assault on her mouth. She allowed herself to get lost in the sensation of his touch, barely realizing when his hands slipped beneath the shirt she wore. All she knew was she would die if he stopped touching her. Nothing else in the world compared to it.

  Then he tore himself away from her mouth and rolled out of the bed. He stood and braced himself on the edge of the mattress with his fists, his head bent as he tried to catch his breath.

  “God,” he panted. “Sweet Jesus.”

  Confused, she tugged the shirt back into place. “Why did you stop?” she asked.

  He looked up. Then he glanced at the door. “Margaret’s right out there,” he said. “She’d probably kill me if she heard…” He trailed off. Then he caught her gaze. “Everly, I promise you, if you decide later that you want to give this another go, I’m all for it.

  “And believe me when I say that I won’t stop.”

  Chapter 37

  Cole realized he shouldn’t have made his promise to Everly almost immediately after he did so. A look came into her eyes after he spoke the words. He didn’t recognize it at first, but he soon came to realize it was a look of feminine challenge.

  He got dressed and left the bedroom first to explain things to Margaret. When Everly came out in her own clothes, Margaret did a fair share of tongue clucking over the bruising and bandages she saw, then made them a breakfast of biscuits and gravy. While it wasn’t quite as good as his mother’s, it was a close second.

  While Margaret handled the few tasks she had on her agenda, Cole put on SportsCenter, grabbed his iPad, and once again sat beside Everly on the couch. Since she didn’t have an armrest, she rested her hand on his leg while he went through the process of checking his stocks. He didn’t think anything of that until her hand slowly got higher on his thigh.

  Did she realize what she was doing? he wondered. He looked at her in-between reading e-mails, but she appeared focused on the television.

  Not wanting to hurt her injured arm, he didn’t bother trying to move it. Hell, it felt fantastic. Why would he complain?

  He saw that he had e-mails from Caroline and Wayne. He’d spoken to each of them several times throughout the day yesterday. They both assured him that they would handle the press. So far, he’d only seen a couple of small blurbs about the incident with Everly among the sports sites. He figured the pair had done a lot of damage control and down-playing.

  Just as he started responding to their messages, he felt Everly’s hand rise higher. He had to find a new position on the couch to get comfortable. When he glanced at her this time, he found her grinning at the television.

  “Really?” he said.

  She let out a snicker.

  “Well,” he whispered into her ear, “two can play at this game.”

  He allowed his lips to linger near her ear as he spoke. Then he teased her, nibbling on her ear and progressing down the side of her neck. It was only when she tilted her head to the side to give him better access that he realized her hand had climbed even higher.

  There was no way he was going to win this match.

  Defeated, he ended up putting some space between them so he could respond to the e-mails. She laughed, giving him a look that warned him what lay ahead.

  Once Margaret left, it was time for PT. Everly was far from easy on him. He’d thought he was making progress, but she made him feel as weak as an infant. He tried to give himself some credit. They’d only been working together for a little less than a month. Still, he hated that he wasn’t a hundred percent.

  He had to give it to her. Even though she’d been beaten with a baseball bat, she didn’t let up or take it easy on him. She clearly wanted him to get better.

  She also apparently wanted to drive him out of his mind.

  He should have known something was up when she told him she wanted to oversee his PT exercises without him wearing a shirt. She rattled off some excuse about wanting to see how his subscapularis and infraspinatus muscles functioned during his exercises. His eyes glazed over mid-explanation, so he just pulled his shirt over his head and told her to do her thing.

  She used her plastic goniometer to measure his range of motion so she could record it in the spiral notebook she kept at his house. Unlike the last time she’d done the measurements, her hands touched his chest and bicep more frequently and strayed down to brush against his abdomen. The light touching had him clamping his back teeth together to keep from reacting. He couldn’t tell whether or not she was doing it deliberately at first, as her expression was a mix between intense and thoughtful.

  Only as their work continued did he figure it out. Whenever she touched him to guide him through his exercises, she allowed her fingers to linger in certain places on his body in a way she’d never done before. He saw her evaluating his reactions, adjusting her touch until she registered that it brought him pleasure. He supposed he should probably object, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why.

  When they were done with PT, she insisted on exercising with him. He thought she should take the day off.

  “My ribs aren’t bothering me much and I don’t want to get out of my routine,” she insisted, cuing up a Tae Bo video. “Did you make excuses like that for yourself before you met me? Is that how you got to be such a marshmallow?”

  “Marshmallow?” he repeated with an indignant look. “I beg your pardon. This body is a temple.”

  “Thanks to me.”

  He shook his head as she began warming up. “Don’t go straining anything. The doctors told you to take it easy.”

  “I’m fit as a fiddle,” she argued. “Billy will guide us true. Pony up, Marshmallow.”

  Though he really didn’t want to, he positioned himself next to her on the mats in front of the television and began the warm up exercises. Halfway through, he realized Everly was flagging. She got winded more quickly and made a few pained faces as she moved. She pushed her way through the rigorous routine, though, only stopping a few times.

  Forty-five minutes later, she was sprawled beside him on the mat, both of them gasping for air.

  “Curse…Billy Blanks…for the devil,” she panted.

  “A pox upon him,” he added, waving a limp arm for punctuation.

  The next minute was filled with the sound of Billy talking through the cool down on the television and the two of them catching their breath. Eventually, Everly sat up. Her tank top was damp with sweat, he realized. It clung to her body. He had to look away when he realized what the sight was doing to him.

  “A pox, huh?” she said.

  “Heard it in a movie once. Always wanted to say it.”

  “Not bad context.”

  “Thanks.”

  He also pushed himself up. When he caught her gaze, he saw the humor there. One corner of his mouth lifted. She’d been teasing him all afternoon, he thought. Why not give her a little tease in return?

  “Is it sad that all I can think about right now is having hot, sweaty sex with you right here?” he asked.

  He expected the blush, which sprang right into her cheeks. What he didn’t expect was her shrug.

  “Would you settle for hot, post-shower sex in your bed?” she asked. “A girl has to have some standards for her first time, you know.”

  For a moment, he just stared at her. He didn’t blink. He didn’t even breathe. The moment he decided she was being serious, he got to his feet. Then he reached down, lifted her to her feet by tugging her hands, and scooped her up.

  “Cole!” she exclaimed. “You can’t carry me up the stairs.”

  “The hell I can’t,” he countered. Then he took them two at a time.

  She laughed. “How come I can’t get you to work like this when we’re exercising?”

  “I’ll give you a pass on that question because you haven’t had sex before,” he said as he crossed the house in a beeline to his bedroom. “Soon, all shall become clear.”

  Her face w
as still a delightful shade of pink. He saw her wrestling with her embarrassment. The moment they walked into his bedroom, he set her on her feet and lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes.

  “Are you sure about this?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  He couldn’t fight his smile. “Thank you, Everly. You can’t know what this means to me. I’m honored and touched. And very, very eager.”

  She laughed again, shaking her head at him. “Well, you have to wash my hair before anything else. So put a brake on the sex train for the moment.”

  He took her hand and led her into the bathroom. “Wait a minute…there’s a sex train?”

  “Well, you might not want to take my word for it.”

  “Hmm.” He turned on the shower’s water and struggled to keep his thoughts off of the events to come. “Well, if there isn’t one, there should be.”

  When he realized she was undressing, he paused to watch her. How was it possible that he was so turned on by her straightforward, focused movements?

  Realizing that he was in real trouble, he tore his gaze from her and pulled his shirt off, followed by the rest of his clothes. He left his boxer briefs on. Everly’s tank top had a built-in bra, so she left it and her panties on. Then they went through the same process they’d done the day before and got her hair shampooed and conditioned.

  “I’ll go and shower in the guest room,” he said when they were done. “Meet you in the bedroom when you’re ready?”

  She smiled. “Sure.”

  That shy smile sent a bolt of lust right through him. He backed away from her and left the bathroom, knowing that if he didn’t, her first time was going to end practically before it began.

  Chapter 38

  Everly dropped the smile when Cole left.

  What in the world am I doing? she silently asked herself. Grabbing the buff puff and body wash that Cole had moved into his shower from downstairs, she began cleansing her skin. I’m about to lose my virginity to Cole Parker!

  OhGodOhGodOhGod…

  She was supremely grateful that he’d also transferred the shaving supplies from the other bathroom. She imagined that was Margaret’s touch. Most guys wouldn’t think to have them handy. Then she realized she was spending far too much time thinking about shaving supplies.

  I have no idea what I’m doing, she thought as she ran the razor over her lathered legs.

  Yes, you do, another part of her argued. You’re living.

  Because that part of her brain had gotten her through exercising with Cole, giving her courage to touch him in ways that she knew drove him wild, she chose to focus on it. She’d need that confidence to get through this.

  No, not get through it. Experience it.

  That was the mindset she took with her as she toweled off and went to the vanity to brush her teeth. As she rinsed, she remembered that she didn’t have a change of clothes in the bathroom.

  Oh, that was so not happening.

  Cole’s robe hung from the hook near the door, so she grabbed it and tied it around her waist. It was ridiculously big. That was the least of her concerns.

  Her hand paused over the door handle. Was she really ready for this? She’d only known Cole for a few weeks. Although they’d talked about a lot of things, his love life hadn’t been one of them. She knew from reviewing his medical files that he was healthy as a horse, so that wasn’t a concern. But what was his history with women? Was he the love ‘em and leave ‘em type?

  Could she live with this possibly being a single moment of pleasure for him and an act of love from her?

  Straightening her shoulders, she told herself to think of Cole as she knew him. A guy who went to such great lengths to avoid scandal and shaming his team wasn’t the type to go around sleeping with just anyone. Plus, she knew about his parents from his and Wyatt’s stories. Their mother had done things right by them.

  Her hand fell on the handle and opened the door. She blinked when she stepped into the bedroom. Cole had brought in a number of the floral arrangements that had been delivered from the hospital earlier. They made the room look and smell like a romantic garden.

  Smiling, she looked at Cole, who rose from where he sat on the bed. He wore only his boxer briefs. His hair was damp and he smelled like the cleanser he favored.

  “Guess I should have gotten you something to wear,” he said, one corner of his mouth lifting. He approached her and brushed a stray curl away from her eyes. “Is this where I admit that I’m slightly terrified?”

  Her eyes widened. A laugh bubbled out. “Isn’t that supposed to be my line?”

  “Hey, you may be a virgin, but I’ve never done this with a virgin. It kind of makes us equals in this.”

  “It does?”

  “Hell, yeah. This is your first time. If I screw this up, I’ll forever be the pathetic ‘first time story’ that you tell years from now.”

  She bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing again. She could tell he was largely being serious.

  Huh. Cole Parker…nervous. About her.

  Stepping closer to him, she ran her right hand along his pectoral muscle, holding his gaze as she did so. She watched his pupils dilate as she touched places that he liked. Her reservations vaporized like snowflakes in the sun.

  “Well, I have no point of comparison,” she said at last. “But based on what we’ve done together so far, you’re already a sex god in my mind.”

  He smiled. “No pressure though.” She gasped when he lifted her off her feet and walked her over to the bed. “Well, I’ll do my best to take it slow. Unless you demand otherwise.”

  She rolled her eyes over his eyebrow wiggle. He placed her in the middle of the bed and climbed on to lay beside her. Her nervousness experienced a grand resurgence when he just lay there looking at her intently for a long moment. It was like he was trying to memorize her.

  “Is there anything you’re uncomfortable with?” he asked.

  She frowned in confusion. “How am I supposed to know?”

  After a moment, he burst out laughing and collapsed so his head rested on her chest. It made her smile when she realized he was laughing at himself.

  “Off to a roaring start,” he said. The words were muffled against the robe.

  “You know, I’m no expert, but I’ve heard a kiss is a great launching point,” she offered.

  He lifted his head and met her gaze, a grin on his face. “I bow to you, my student.” He pushed himself all the way up and braced himself over her. “Now I intend to take that sage advice and apply it to your entire body.”

  Before she could reply, he leaned down and kissed her. Everything else faded to the back of her mind. She allowed the overwhelming sensation of Cole’s kiss to sweep away her nerves.

  He took his time, alternating between soft, teasing kisses and deep, passionate ones. She wasn’t sure how long they just lay there kissing, but she vaguely realized at some point that he had positioned himself so that he rested between her legs. That probably should have alarmed her. Instead, she wanted him pressed even closer.

  His kisses progressed beyond her lips. He spent some time along her ear lobe and the side of her neck. Then he moved lower and caressed the hollow of her throat with soft kisses and gentle flicks of his tongue. Everywhere he touched caused ripples of pleasure to course through her body. It all felt so good that she couldn’t find it in her to be shy when he reached for the robe’s belt and untied it. She even helped him.

  She sat up when the belt was free and allowed the robe to slip from her shoulders. Cole seemed surprised by the move. He stared down at her for a long moment without blinking.

  Then he pushed her back on the bed a little less than gently and kissed her again. There was nothing teasing about this kiss. It was openly carnal, conveying his desire in a way beyond words. When she felt his calloused palms on her bare skin, she shivered and moaned against his mouth.

  He eventually broke off the kiss. The room filled with the sound of their panting. Everly??
?s side throbbed, but it was the furthest thing from her mind as Cole lowered himself along her body and began to fulfill his promise of kissing her everywhere.

  She had thought she knew how much enjoyment she would get out of sex. Her previous encounters with Cole had left her aching for more of the blissful torture he could wield. Now, however, she realized she hadn’t had an inkling of what lie ahead.

  Her body was a flare of sensation. His dexterous hands and sinful lips stoked her to greater heights of pleasure than she’d ever dreamed possible. She never thought she’d be one to beg or demand, but she did both. Then, at long, long last, he sent her over the edge into wave after wave of glorious splendor.

  While she drifted back to her senses, he reached for the condom he’d left on the nightstand. She took it from him and opened it while he removed his boxer briefs. Her eyes widened as she saw his entire body for the first time.

  “Well, this will be quite different from suiting up the bananas in health class,” she managed.

  He gave her a small smile, but she read the intensity in his eyes. Together, they got the condom in place. Then he caught her gaze again.

  “You’re still sure?” he asked.

  Her nerves jittered. “I’m sure.”

  “Thank God,” he said. He kissed her again, clearly savoring the moment. He gently lifted her into a sitting position. “With this being your first time, I think you should be the guide.”

  Her jaw loosened. “You want me to...?”

  Lying on his back, he nodded. “I’m all yours, Everly.”

  Biting her lip, she considered what to do. Pushing aside her sudden shyness, she moved so that she straddled him. Then she did as he suggested.

  Slowly—exquisitely, achingly slowly—she lowered herself until they were fully joined. Her gaze never left his. She saw desire and something more…something that had her heart fluttering wildly in her chest.

  Something that told her this was more than a single moment of pleasure for him.

  She shifted to adjust to the feel of him. Pleasure blended with pain. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut, his fingers tightening on her hips. The tendons in his neck stretched taut. Sensual heat flashed through her when she realized what she was doing to him.