Page 38 of Unspoken Rules

He pulls out a beer. “Want one?”

“Sure.”

He pops it open and places it in front of me before going back to the fridge and grabbing another. He leans against the counter, opens it, and takes a sip. His gaze is on me, but I try to ignore it and not to eat like a pig. But this food is so damn good, and I can’t remember the last time I had a home-cooked meal. Cole has always been an amazing cook, and he never does anything over-the-top either. It’s simple things that taste the best. Like burgers on the grill or fried chicken.

“I used to keep more than beer in the house, but Chris wipes it out. He doesn’t like beer, so now it’s all I drink.”

I look up at him, noting he’s now staring at the floor. I hate how sad he sounds admitting that to me.

I swallow the food in my mouth and say, “It’s that bad?”

He nods. “He goes to work just fine. During the week he isn’t so bad, but on the weekends? He’s like a different person. Someone I don’t recognize.”

“I’ve noticed.” I take a mouthful of beer before finishing my food. Maybe I’m pushing it here, but the longer I get to see Cole Harper wet and in a swimsuit, the better.

“Still don’t wanna talk about it?” he asks.

“Not really.” I shake my head. “I don’t know.”

I bring my dishes to the sink to wash. Cole is just beside me, the scent of chlorine wafting from him. His hair is dripping, the water droplets running down his chest, and all I can think about is licking them up. Licking up chlorine water? Ew.

But it’s been on him…

What the hell is wrong with you, Bryson?

Fuck, I wish I could touch Cole whenever and however I wanted.

Cole finishes his beer, leaving the empty can on the counter by the sink, and goes back to the fridge. He hands me a bunch of cans that I hold in my arms.

“We can keep them in the fridge outside,” he says as he grabs some more, closing the fridge with his hip. “Meant to stock it earlier but forgot.”

I pick up my open one and follow him outside, keeping my gaze on his ass and hips the entire time.

This is so dangerous…

The lights are on outside already, and after the beer is in the fridge, Cole dives into the pool without a word. He comes up, wipes the water from his face, and turns to look at me with a grin. Fuck, he’s gorgeous.

“You coming or what?”

Damn, I sure hope so…

I take off my shirt, and when I unbutton my pants, I realize I’m wearing my boxer briefs that have donuts all over them. Real mature, Bryson.

I take my pants off and leave them on one of the lounge chairs with my shirt. I walk to the edge of the pool, ignoring the way Cole is staring at me. I dive in, and we swim around aimlessly. It feels damn good being in a heated pool with the outside air chilly. I bet the hot tub is even better. I’ve always felt spoiled being here, which is funny because my father’s house had an indoor pool and hot tub. Also had a theater with the newest gaming systems. But I never enjoyed any of that stuff. It didn’t mean anything. They were just useless things filling space. Here? It’s so much different.

“This pool was the best thing I’ve ever done,” he comments.

“The entire house looks great, Cole. All the changes you made? You did good.”

He smiles proudly as we float around.

“Didn’t have much work to do for a while, so I worked on the house to keep busy.”

Cole asks about school and talks a little about work. We take turns braving the cold for fresh beers when we need them. Before I know it, Cole is telling me we’ve got the last ones, and I’m feeling pretty good. Slightly buzzed. We crack them open as we take a seat on the steps, the water up to our shoulders to keep warm.

“How come you didn’t finish the work on my father’s house?” I ask when it falls silent. I’d known that was the plan before I left for college, but it stopped and I never found out why. Not sure why Cole agreed to work on the house in the first place. My father was never nice to him, but I guess that’s Cole. He’s just a good guy.

Cole tenses beside me, taking a sip of his beer.

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