Page 66 of Shelter
His eyes held mine, the look on his face suddenly hopeful. “Can you do that for me?”
It was the look of hope that nearly had my lip trembling. But if I gave him that promise, I’d have nothing in return. He was about to walk away from me.
I took a steadying breath and held it until I was sure my voice wouldn’t shake. “You sure do ask for a lot.” The words came out so casual, I watched the corners of Cole’s mouth fight for a good three seconds before his chuckle broke free.
“Yeah,” he said with a nod. “You make a good point. Still, I’m noting for the record that you didn’t say no.”
“And I’m noting for the record that I didn’t say yes.”
His smile slipped just a little, and I marked that as my victory, small though it was.
I watched, then, as his smile slowly melted until we were just eye to eye, our bodies still pressed snugly together, a world of obstacles between us.
“This is when I say goodbye.” He looked so sad I couldn’t even blame him for having all the power and being so damn honorable.
I ignored the panic rising in my chest. “Can I give you one more kiss for the road?”
His smile returned, and his brow arched. “Asking permission now? That’s not like you.”
Oh, man. Did he ever know how to piss me off. And he loved it. So, he couldn’t have been surprised when I crunched up and slammed his mouth with mine. He grunted at the impact, but I knew it wasn’t because I’d hurt him. Cole’s arms came around me, arching my back and lifting me off the cushion as our kiss deepened. I held onto him as if my life depended on it, and I wasn’t about to be the first to let go. If he was going to leave me — for eighteen months or forever — he was going to have to be the one to pull back. And the way he was kissing me now, I honestly didn’t know if he could. We might keep kissing for hours.
That was my plan anyway. Until light fell on us, and I pulled back with a gasp.
I thought he’d notice. Turn around and see what I was seeing. But he was in too deep, moving to my neck to continue drowning me in his kiss. I gripped him by the shoulders and shook him.
“Cole! That light,” I panted, breathless now from fear instead of passion. “Isn’t that your parents’ room?”
Chapter 14
COLE
I was kissing her goodbye. Kissing her — I hoped — better than any high school boy ever could. Giving her a kiss that could hold her over until she turned eighteen. Because then I wouldn’t feel like a criminal. Like a pervert.
But I was kissing her, too, for myself. Memorizing her taste. The texture of her lips. The eagerness of her tongue. I was tucking these treasures away to take them out later, one at a time, and savor them.
I had no idea what the next year and a half would bring. Maybe it was crazy to even think about a future that included Elise. But one thing was sure. I couldn’t have her now. And I definitely needed to put some distance between us for both our sakes. And, yeah, maybe after tonight we’d go our separate ways and never look back. But if Mom and Ava were coming to live with me in New Orleans, it wasn’t as if I’d be going out every night like a frat boy. And kissing Elise made the thought of any other girl seem lukewarm and empty.
She was so real.
The way she fought me. The way she demanded her due. I loved it. Even the way she was shaking my shoulder, pulling me from her neck…
“Dammit, Cole. Look!” I jerked my head up as Elise pushed me off her. “Your parents are awake.”
I whipped around and saw the light in their bedroom window.
“Fuck.”
“Do you think they heard us?” Elise sat up with me, her hand on my shoulder.
“No,” I muttered, certain in the pit of my stomach that the light on in my parents’ room had nothing to do with us.
“Why are they—”
“Shh.” I held up a hand to silence her, and for once in Elise’s life, she didn’t argue. Sounds fell from the second floor. Voices. I couldn’t make out the words.
Beside me, Elise sucked in a tiny breath.
“What is it?” I whispered.
