Page 44 of Master Cole

“No.” Janie shook her head, but deep down she knew Alicia was right. “Okay, maybe I had a crush on Cole, but now it’s different.” She flipped on her blinker and took the exit she needed to get home. “I want to be with him. I want to share things with him.”

“That’s how relationships go, but I have to ask you. Have you told him about your job?”

“No.” She winkled her nose. “You know as well as I do, Cole wouldn’t approve. Hell, just because I lost it the other night, he’s trying to wrap me in cotton wool.”

“What happened the other night?”

“Oh, I forgot I hadn’t talked with you. We had a freak storm, and I was driving home in it.”

“You hate thunder and lightning.”

“The flooding caused the biggest problem.” Janie explained quickly how she’d made it home and her subsequent tears. But also how tender and caring Cole had been.

“Hummm,” Alicia said.

“I see those wheels turning in your head.”

“Since I’m an outside observer, I'll ask: Could there be something in Cole’s past that’s making him this way?”

“I don’t know. I guess it’s possible. You have to remember I was in my teens when my dad met Cole’s dad.”

“Cole never had a brother or a sister?”

“He had a sister, but she died when I was in my teens. I only met her twice, she was older than me. Cole never talks about her.” Janie pulled into the driveway and threw the car into park. “You think his over protectiveness comes from something in his past?”

“It makes sense, but then again, he might just be very possessive over you.” Alicia tilted her head to Janie’s door.

Janie turned, and there stood Cole. “Great,” she muttered, grabbing the handle and pushing the door open. Cole cupped her elbow and pulled her from her car.

“I’ve been calling you.”

“My phone is on silent. You know I don’t answer it when I’m driving.”

“Yes.” He glanced over her shoulder. “Hi, Alicia, glad to have you staying with us.”

“Thanks, Cole.”

Janie slid out of his grasp and went to the trunk. “I’ll get the luggage,” he said. “I’ve put Alicia in the room next to yours.” He leaned over. “We’re not finished with this conversation,” he whispered, and then he grabbed Alicia’s bags.

She slammed the trunk lid as Cole walked inside.

“Well, this is certainly going to be fun,” Alicia said, linking her arm through Janie’s.

* * *

Cole rubbedhis eyes as tiredness pulled at him. He glanced at the clock. It was ten-thirty, time to call it a night. He shut down his home computer and made his way out of his office. He stared at the closed playroom door.

Two weeks Alicia had been here. More than two weeks since he’d touched Janie, caressed her skin, made her cry out her pleasure. His cock twitched in his pants. He was very aware Janie was as frustrated as he was.

She wrote about it in her journal every day, but he held firm in not playing while Alicia was in the house. Part of him was aware Alicia was an adult, a consenting adult at that, but he wasn’t going to take the risk of having her walk in on him and Janie in the playroom, as the door only locked from the outside.

He was pretty sure Janie had told Alicia about their relationship and the playroom. He wouldn’t take any chances of traumatizing Alicia as Janie had been when she’d walked in on him and Natalie. Yes, Alicia was older, but his protective instincts were on high.

His thoughts turned to his sister, Sally. He remembered how broken she was. How she’d lie in bed claiming nothing was wrong but refused to get up or leave the house. There was nothing his father or he could do to bring Sally back to them. They had even tried to get her professional help, but she’d refused.

Cole could never forget the look on his father’s face when Cole told him Sally was dead. Dead by her own hand. As memories assaulted him, Cole climbed the stairs and went into his bedroom, closing the door softly behind him, his heart heavy.

He missed Sally even after all these years. He missed her smile, her laughter; most of all, he missed her. Which fueled his determination to make sure Janie wasn’t hurt by their play.

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