7. Cole

7

COLE

M y chest squeezes tight as I suck air into my burning lungs. My calves ache with every step but I push myself up the hill, maintaining a steady jogging pace.

Usually a run in the woods calms my mind, but there’s no relief today from thoughts of Carrie. How her face fell in disappointment when I insulted her. How she called me out as the asshole that I am. It’s not her fault Gran deceived her, and it’s not her fault her car broke down.

And it’s not her fault her damned hair flutters around her cheeks and that one strand keeps getting caught on her lip.

Thoughts of her luscious lips make me hot in a way that has nothing to do with the 10k run. I’m a hot-blooded man, and it’s been a long time since I had a woman. Hell, I can’t even remember the last time. Is it any wonder when there’s one staying on my property with curves for days that I’m having a reaction to her?

I finally reach the top of the hill where the path evens out, and I take the loop trail to the waterfall. It adds another few yards to the run, and I like to run past the water when it’s hot like this.

I’m almost at the waterfall when a pale leg comes into view. My breath hitches at the sight of Carrie. She’s lying on a rock and resting back on her elbows. Her head is tilted to the sky, and she’s got a contented smile on her face. But it’s not her face that makes me stare.

She’s in her underwear, if you can call the tiny pieces of fabric struggling to cover her intimate parts underwear. Delicate lace is woven in an intricate pattern over her breasts. A thin layer of wet silk sticks to her luscious soft globes, and the fabric stops tantalizingly close to the top of where her nipples are. The wet fabric clings to her skin, showing the peaks of her nipples. If I look hard enough, I can almost see the outline of nipple through the fabric.

My foot connects with a tree root and I stumble, hitting the ground with my elbow as a grunt is forced out of me.

Carries startles and jumps to her feet, letting out a yelp of surprise. She grabs her dress and covers her body with it, but not before I glimpse the miniscule triangle of black lace with the tiniest straps I ever saw wrapped around her hips and disappearing around her back. As she scrambles to cover herself I catch a glimpse of a smooth butt cheek .

She’s wearing a thong, a lace thong.

And that knowledge makes my dick lengthen even as I scramble on the ground to pull myself upright.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“What the fuck, Cole?” The way she’s holding her dress doesn’t cover her entire body, and her glistening wet thigh with the single black strap around the hip is clearly visible.

I gape at her legs, unable to look away until she moves the dress and crouches over and I draw my gaze up to her eyes.

They’re blazing with anger, and once again I’ve managed to annoy this woman while she’s managed to give me a raging hard-on.

“Sorry.” I bring a hand to my eyes and turn away, finally remembering to be a gentleman even though every instinct I have is to stride over there and do un-gentlemanly things to her.

I need to get a grip.

“This is a public trail,” I say in my defense.

I hear the rustling of fabric behind me.

“You can turn around now.”

When I turn, she’s got her dress on. The cotton fabric sticks to her skin in wet patches. Her cheeks flame red in an adorable blush, and she sticks her chin out defiantly.

“I had a quick swim,” she says unnecessarily. “In case you thought I was waiting here for you.”

So there it is. She’s still annoyed at me for what I said last night, as is her right to be. But I hate the way she’s looking at me like I’m the enemy. I’ve seen Carrie smile at nothing, I’ve seen her dance in the kitchen when she thought no one was watching. I don’t want to be the grump who keeps ruining her good mood.

I raise my hands and try really hard not to look at her boobs.

“I’m sorry for what I said yesterday.”

She folds her arms, and I risk a glance down just to see what those beautiful orbs are doing. They’re making her dress wet from the wet fabric of the bra, and I hate that I interrupted her moment in the sun. If I’d been walking not running, I might have come upon her quietly, and I could have left her in peace after having a good long look at her breasts.

“Which part? When you accused me of corrupting your daughters by painting their nails, or when you accused me of poisoning your daughters by giving them a cupcake, or when you accused me of being in cahoots with your grandma and coming up here to try to win you over because a grumpy rude mountain man is a real catch?”

I wince at her words and run my hand through my beard. When she puts it like that, there’s no denying I’m an asshole.

“All of it.”

Her hands tug at the wet patches on her dress, making her breasts wobble.

Eyes up Cole, I tell myself.

“I’m sorry.” I let out a deep breath and try again. “You didn’t know the rules of the house. I should have been there. ”

She puts her hand on her hips and cocks her head. She’s listening, but she’s still cross at me. And I desperately don’t want Carrie to be cross at me.

“I’m sorry my gran tricked you. It was a horrible thing to do. I’m sorry I’m not the man you thought I was. And I’m sorry I took it out on you when it’s Gran who’s created this mess.”

I’ve never done so much apologizing in my life. Her expression softens, and she lets out a long sigh.

“All I wanted was an adventure.” She shakes her head sadly. “This is the first time I’ve left North Carolina. The first time out of the state and I get sucked in by a granny pretending to be a man. No wonder my sister was worried about me. I’m as gullible and naive as she thinks I am.”

Carrie gives a self-depreciating laugh and shakes her head.

“I’m sorry your gran is scheming to find you a wife you don’t want. But I truly had no idea she wasn’t genuine, which goes to show how much I know about men.”

Carrie bites her lower lip, and a wave of emotion sweeps though me. Her trusting nature is sweet, and I’m truly sorry it hasn’t worked out for her.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. Gran can be very convincing.”

Carrie presses her lips together, and a blush creeps up her neck. “Yeah. I sent her a picture of my boobs.”

My mouth drops open, and I allow myself a glance at the boobs in question. She’s just mentioned them, surely that’s allowed. “You sent her a boob pic?”

Carrie puts her hand over her face and peeks out between her fingers. “Don’t judge me. I’ve never done anything like this before, ever.”

Gran has seen Carrie’s boobs. She knows what color her nipples are and how wide her areolas are. How has my Gran seen this woman’s boobs and I haven’t?

I shake my head, wondering what the hell Gran did with that picture.

The thought of Gran getting Carrie’s boob pics and her eyes going wide makes me chuckle.

“So, my grandma has a picture of your boobs?”

Carrie nods, but she’s laughing too. “Yup. I kept my bra on. But yeah, I sent a boob pic.”

She frowns and shakes her head, but she’s smiling too. “I’m so embarrassed by this entire situation, but I’m most embarrassed about sending your grandma a picture of my boobs.”

We’re both doubled up laughing now, and I’m glad Carrie can see the funny side. I feel a rush of warmth for this woman, and guilt for leaving her alone in her cabin for the last few days.

“Hey, we’re having a cookout tonight. You want to come over?”

The invitation’s out before I can stop myself. Her eyes light up, and she smiles a warm unembarrassed smile.

“I’d like that.”

We don’t usually have cookouts on school nights, but I can’t leave her alone in her cabin for another night .

“Come around when the girls get home. We eat early.”

We make the arrangements, and I continue my run. The last half of the run is downhill, but it’s not just the downhill slope that makes me feel lighter.

For the first time since Mel, I’ve found a woman that I want to kiss.