Page 12 of Wicked Heiress

I would have grown up like Cole if my grandfather had been decent. The life I had before Fitzy was charmed from what I remembered. We lived in a big house with a dozen bedrooms. My parents had money and spoiled me.

Life was good once.

I leaned back against the pavers and soaked up the sun. The water was warm and felt amazing. This was the best summer vacation I’d ever had. Maybe even the best weeks of my life.

Cole spotted me staring and strolled toward me, his perfect body teasing me with each step. He was thick in the chest, with chiseled abs and broad shoulders holding up his big biceps.

Cole waded through the water, grabbed two floats, and passed one to me. “We can’t stay in much longer. Maybe another thirty minutes.”

As I attempted to hop onto the float, it glided across the pool, slamming into the wall. Cole moved behind me, his long fingers digging into my hips, setting my skin on fire. And when his hand cupped my ass to help me onto the float, I gasped.

I plopped onto my backside, breathing hard as our eyes met. His chest rose and fell faster, and I could tell I had the same effect on him. Cole’s eyes lowered to my cleavage for a second, which spilled out from the red bikini top. I didn’t have big boobs, about a handful, but enough for him to notice.

My foot brushed against his inner thigh, and I felt how hard he was for me. Biting my lip, I stared into his eyes, hoping he would make a move. So when he didn’t, I leaned forward and let our lips touch. He breathed harder but wouldn’t open his mouth for me.

He stepped back and slapped the water as if it were too painful to continue looking at me. “Those fucking bikinis,” he mumbled under his breath, not thinking I could hear him as he turned his back to me and effortlessly climbed onto the float.

Cole covered his raging boner with his hand and drifted away, gazing at the sky. It was as if nothing had happened, like we weren’t about to kiss.

“The boys are not to touch you,” my grandfather had said on our way to Fort Marshall. “They are under strict orders to keep their filthy hands to themselves. And I expect you to act like a lady.”

To spite him, I wanted to get my first kiss and ditch my virginity by the end of the summer. But it was clear Cole wasn’t going to break the rules.

He walked away or turned his head whenever he stared at me for too long. Then things got awkward between us.

Like now.

I floated in the shallow water while Cole was already in the deep end, lounging on the raft like a spoiled prince. His muscles flexed when he moved, water rippling off them. Even from a distance, I could make out every detail of his body.

I liked Cole.

A lot.

Apart from the Colonel, no one had ever said they would protect me. No one had ever made me feel safe. I could see a lot of my dad in Cole. They were both raised by the military and were good at following orders. And if they were as alike as I thought, Cole would never touch me.

* * *

After changing out of my bathing suit and showering, I searched for Cole. He was supposed to stop by my room but still hadn’t shown up. We were going to dinner at a cafe in town.

Cole’s bedroom door was half open, so I stepped inside. A laptop sat beside a stack of books on his desk. His bed was made, every inch of the space clean and decluttered. He’d grown up at York Military Academy, and it showed.

I halted by the open bathroom door, steam billowing out from the room. From behind the glass shower, I spotted Cole with his hand on the wall, the other wrapped around his dick.

Oh my God.

Cole’s body was a work of art sculpted to perfection. Water ran down his forehead, dotting the rugged ridges of his eight-pack. But that wasn’t what I focused on most.

He jerked his shaft hard, eyes closed, and grunted. As if he could read my thoughts, his eyes snapped open. He didn’t look away, and neither did I. To my surprise, Cole continued to jerk off, staring at me as if I were the object of his obsession.

My skin pebbled with tiny bumps of arousal. A deep ache settled into my core. Transfixed by Cole and the sounds he made, I bit my lip, wondering if he was getting off to me.

“I’m so sorry,” I muttered after my brain started working again.

I could have sworn Cole said, “I’m not,” as I shut the door.

Chapter Seven

COLE

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