Page 93 of Sneak Attack

She said it with a smile, but my heart squeezed. She wouldn’t have many more nights to either reminisce or share her wisdom with others, so I took it, committed it to memory and helped her inside.

“I can get it from here,” she told me once we were past the kitchen.

“You sure?”

Eden had mentioned she’d taken to leaving the bathroom door open an inch or two so she could hear what was going on, but maybe she was more comfortable with Eden hearing her than me.

Marley patted my hand. “Yup. It’s a good night. Feeling strong.”

“Okay.” I kissed the top of her head. “Good night, then, Marley.”

“You too, Cole.” She let go and headed toward the bathroom. She turned to me as she stepped through the doorway. “Take care of her.”

“Always,” I choked out.

I didn’t need Marley’s blessing for anything, but her giving this to me? I’d treasure it.

She stepped inside the bathroom, closed the door, but like Eden said, she left it cracked so light peered out in the hallway.

I went to her bedroom and flipped on the light so she wouldn’t walk into a dark room and headed back to the kitchen where I gave Marley privacy but was close enough in case she fell. While there, I cleaned up the leftover salad Eden had made to go along with the pizza, washed the dishes we’d left on the counter before heading outside, and wiped down the counters. Once I heard Marley’s footsteps pad softly to her bedroom and her door click shut, I returned to the backyard, Marley’s wisdom once again solidly stamped in my memory.

I’d take care of Eden, emotionally and physically, and I was done moving slow for fear she’d bolt.

If there was a time in Eden’s life she needed to know I was in this for the long haul, it was now, with the threat of losing someone she already loved barreling down on us with growing speed.

CHAPTER29

EDEN

Cole’s lips brushed my jaw, and I clung to him. We were out on our boulder, where he’d brought me after Marley went to bed and we were sure she was asleep. As soon as we got there, he settled me on his lap, facing him. My ankles were hooked together behind him, and his hands were at my lower back.

He’d kissed me immediately, not bothering to move slow or warn me. He’d simply dipped his chin, crashed his lips to mine and we’d been sitting there, his hard length growing beneath us and his hands never once straying from my back for what felt like hours, simply kissing.

As he pulled away, my breathing was raspy and fast, and his pulse at his throat showed the same was going on with him, although I hadn’t needed further evidence from the hardness at my sex.

“I’m staying the night with you,” he said. “And you’re not going to try to talk me out of it.”

I could hardly think straight as it was, and the need he’d so passionately stoked inside of me only gave me a moment to hesitate.

“Marley—”

“Will stay asleep downstairs as long as you can be quiet.” He smacked my backside and slid forward on the boulder until his feet were planted on the ground. “Come on.”

He stood, forcing me to wrap my arms around his neck and hold on as he started walking toward the trail to take us back to her house.

“I can walk, you know.”

“I know, but I don’t want to let you go.”

The weight of his words sent a shiver through me, making me hold on to him tighter. I didn’t think he was only talking aboutnow, in this moment, and the thought of being able to hold on to Cole for the rest of forever was a possibility I’d never seen coming.

“Cole.”

“I know you’re scared. But keep holding on and I’ll show you why you don’t need to be.”

Again, not about the walk, and I shouldn’t have been so surprised he read me so easily. But I did as he said, held on to him until we were up the steps on Marley’s back deck, and he gently set me to my feet.

“Know I said I didn’t want you arguing about me staying, but if you’re not ready, I can wait.”

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