Page 15 of Chasin' Cole

I feel heat creepin' up my neck. I know I'm missin' something; I just don't know what it is. "I don't understand why—"

He clears his throat nervously. "When you...when two people are close like we are, theyfeelthings. The kind of things that would make our situation a lot more complicated.”

I frown. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that I was doin’ the wrong thing.”

“No, you weren’t,” Cole assures me. “What we’re doing is normal, but it can lead to other things we're not ready for."

Sex. I think he means sex. I’m not ready for that. I just wanted the throbbin’ sensation in in my groin to ease. I doubt it will, though. The more time Cole and I spend together—the more we spend talkin’ to each other and learnin’ things we didn’t know—the more uncomfortablethat areabecomes. It also doesn’t help that he’s the sexiest lookin’ man in seven counties. Damn you, Cole Strickland. You just had to go make feel things I wasn’t ready to.

"We should stop then," I agree as I climb off him and sit beside him.

"Have I upset you?" he asks.

I shake my head. "No, of course not. I'm glad you were honest with me. I don't...I don't know what I'm doin'. I just know I like bein’ with you. I’ve never done any of this with anyone else. I don’t want to do somethin’ wrong”

His fingers lace with mine. "I know. It's why we should take things slow. And I doubt you could do anything wrong Rose. You always do the right thing."

"What if I wanted to...increasethe pace?" I glace shyly in his direction. “Not today, but soon?”

"Then I'd say you should take some time to think about it," he answers. "That stuff is a big deal. Maybe not by today's standards, but I'm not ready to cross that line with you yet, Rose. I save those things for when I'm in love."

I blush as he brings my hand up to his lips and chastely kisses it. "Have you been in love before?"

His shoulder and hip are flush against mine. "Thought I was once or twice but turns out I wasn't. It hurt more after it was over knowing I had shared something those women that they didn't appreciate. I haven't dated much since my early twenties."

The words make my heart sing. He’s been alone all this time? Or was he waitin'? Waitin' for the right woman?

Me.

I'm the right woman. I know I am.

"What are you smirking about?" Cole grins.

Oh, wouldn't you like to know, Cole Strickland.

"Nothin'," I answer. “Nothin’ that concerns you.”

"I know it's not nothing,Ring Around the Rosie." He's taunting me. He can taunt me all he wants. I won't crack. “What are you thinking?”

His fingers find my waist. He sinks them into my skin, tickling me. I break out into a fit of giggles as I lay back on the thick blanket beneath us. Cole falls on top of me, his arm catchin' most of his weight.

From this angle, with his body hoverin' over mine, his eyes shinin' with emotion, I know I was made to love him. I don’t know how to explain it other than I was busy collectin’ wood for a fire. Now, that fire’s finally been lit, I can’t seem to look away from the blazin’ flames.

My fingers reach up and move the hair off his forehead. "Are you sure we can't stay here forever?" I whisper.

Forever.

The word lingers in his dark eyes as he gazes down at me.

"I wish we could, Rose. I really wish we could."

My heart slips and sloshes around beneath my rib cage. I want to yank him down to my level and smother him with affection. Smother him with all this love pourin' out of my body for him. But he pushes off the truck bed and stands, holding his hand out for me. Reluctantly, I take it and let him pull me up.

"We better get you home before your mom finds out you snuck out." He jumps off the tailgate before turnin’ to help me down. But I jump off before he realizes what I'm doin’.

Cole and lets out a worried, "Be careful!"

"You forget, Cole," I laugh, "I've been chasin' after you and Brock most of my life. Climbin’ trees and fences. Marchin’ through muddy waters. Hoppin' out of tailgates is child's play."

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