Worth Any Risk

Ch. 16 All the Way

*Cole

She can barely speak. I see the longing shining in her eyes. I tip my forehead to touch hers. "I will be there with you. All the way."

"Yes," she whispers. "Yes, I'll go with you."

My heart lights with the warmth of the sun itself.

Later, we are upstairs in her bed, hands and legs tangled up and sheets in a wild mess. She strokes my arm, laughing when the goose-pimples stand up in response. So I'm ticklish? She's much more ticklish than I am, and I prove it to her.

"Stop!" she cries. "I surrender. You win. You win."

I shift to my side and prop up my head with a hand to study her. She's beautiful, especially when she's naked and in bed with me, no doubt.

"How soon do you think you can get out of here?" I ask. "I know you have a lot on your plate with the house and work. I need to get back to my shop, and personally, I think the sooner we leave the better. For both our sakes."

She frowns and glances at the windows on the other side of the room. I hate to push her to leave fast, but I believe it's for the best. This place is toxic. Still, if I push her too hard, I'm afraid I could lose her. Too much pressure and she might change her mind to stay with the familiar devil of this town. That isn't a viable option. "You need time to think. It's all right. Think about it. I'll wait."

"It's a lot to process."

"You want me to get to work on the car? Give you some space while you think about everything you need to take care of?"

"That would be good. I have some things I should take care of today and then I could start making lists."

"Listen. Go do your things. I'm going to pop the hood on your poor, dead car and fiddle around a bit, then I need to meet up with Javier and check his dad's car for him. That's my day taken care of."

"As long as you've got your cars, you're good, is that right?"

I grin. Guilty as charged. She's still half turned from me, eyes locked in the distance. Too defensive. I want her closer, and more comfortable around me. I run my fingers down her side and pull her hips to mine and nuzzle her hair. "There is one thing I need in addition to my old, broken cars." I nibble her ear just in case she isn't sure who I'm talking about and she puts her hands on my chest.

"Point taken. Hey, are you going to want some lunch before going to Javier's?"

"Mmm. Lunch." I growl, ideas pouring through my brain.

She snorts. "As in meat with a side of meat, a bread roll and a sprig of broccoli for decoration? Sound good?"

"How do you know me so well already?"

"I actually watched you a lot," she says, lifting her eyebrows at me. "And I mean a lot, when we were young."

I hold her hand as long as I can as she rolls off the bed to standing. My heart swells to a painful ache in my chest, watching her as she snaps on her bra and buttons her shirt. Her curves fill blue jeans and a pale pink top and her dark hair frames her face. There's a shadow that's gone from her eyes, and a playful, carefree lightness to her frame. She blows me a kiss over her shoulder. Her ass is round and perfect. My cock twitches, coming back to life again as I remember pinning her down in the bed and listening to her cry out my name.

She's coming with me. She's coming with me.

***

She's quiet during lunch, unless I tease her. I don't dare bring up leaving town and she doesn't mention it. We eat on a picnic table on her wide porch and my heart breaks at the sight of her—flushed cheeks, tumbling waves of hair, a bright smile that lights up my whole world. It's hard to say goodbye and go to Javier's. I'm much too tempted to drag her into my arms, strip her naked, and show her how I feel. Several times.