Page 9 of Seduction in the Mountains

Cole

"I'mnotlittle,Cole."Miranda arches a brow at my nickname for her.

"Well, these aren't," I say, massaging her breasts.

She sighs, stretching like a cat as I run my hands over her perfect curves. I lean forward, planting kisses up her stomach, before I pull out. Removing the condom, I tie it off, looking to Miranda to see if I can throw it in the kitchen garbage.

"Yeah, go ahead. I'll need to take it out in a minute, anyway."

I nod, tossing it in the trash, and return to Miranda, who hasn't moved except to place one arm over her eyes. She looks thoroughly fucked. Her hair is messy, her fair skin dotted with pink splotches that match the funky highlights in her hair. I'm already wondering if I can go for round three in a few minutes.

She bats me as I kiss up her thighs. "No, you sexy energizer bunny. Oh god. You're like the after picture for erectile dysfunction medication." She giggles as I pull her to a sitting position and help her off the table.

"Let me take you to dinner."

Miranda startles. "Dinner? Oh, shit!" Her head swivels toward the clock and she runs around looking for her underwear. "Cole, I have to go." She looks a little frantic, searching for the rest of her clothes scattered around the kitchen.

"Okay, I can go with you."

"No." She looks at me quizzically. "He doesn't—" She stops abruptly, shaking her head. "No. Thank you."

I narrow my eyes. "Are you running out on me again, little ghost?"

"What?" She sighs, looking irritated by the nickname, before her eyes soften. "Look, Cole. I should not have left that way, back at school. But I had to get home. I needed to take care of my brother." She hazards a glance at me out of the corner of her eye.

I watch her intently. "Jeremy."

She turns toward me, surprised. "How did you—"

I shrug, knowing she’ll somehow have a problem with this next bit of news I'm about to reveal. "I'm his teacher."

"Oh, fabulous." Miranda rolls her eyes, muttering about fucking teachers and something else about finding a chastity belt online.

"Miranda," I start as I follow her out the kitchen door into the main part of the shop. "My sister is a single mother. I understand the pressure you’re under." She glances at me. "But you’re incredible, and I’m not okay with you running out on me again. You happen to run the best coffee shop in town." I pause, pulling my brand new gift card out of my pocket and displaying it so she can't mistake the logo. "And I happen to be the proud recipient of a gift card to your wonderful establishment courtesy of my new boss and the gods of fate. You can do your best to push me away. But I'm not going anywhere."

I turn back into the kitchen, giving her a minute while I take the trash out to the dumpster in the side alley. After replacing the bag in the bin, I find a bottle labeledSanitizerand clean every surface we touched. I don't want Miranda associating tonight with more work, if I can help it. After washing my hands, I look at the clock and decide ten minutes will have to be enough time.

Miranda is standing on the other side of the counter, her purse and keys in hand. She takes a deep breath. "Cole, you are incredibly sexy, and that was, um, well, everything I imagined."

I grin at her. "So, you've imagined it, too, huh?"

Miranda bites her lip to suppress her smile and shrugs. "Maybe once or twice." She rolls her eyes again as I beam at her. "But—and thisbutis the biggestbutin the history ofbuts. One big enough for Sir Mix-a-Lot to love—I am not sleeping with Jeremy's teacher."

"Too late, Miranda." I attempt to say it in a teasing tone, but it comes out as a growl.

"Again. I'm not sleeping with Jeremy's teacheragain." She puts her hands on her hips, glaring at me. "Cole, you have to understand. I don't have time for dating. Between the shop and Jeremy, I don't have time foranything. I haven't touched a paintbrush in years. Every night, I close up the shop, Jeremy works on homework while I manage to put some sandwiches together for dinner, and I go to bed early with my feet killing me so I can wake up and do it all over again. And I will. Because he deserves anything I can do to make his childhood better. But"—she holds her finger in the air as if to stop me from speaking—"hot fuck boys are low on my priority list. Even if you make my toes curl."

I stalk toward her, my gaze flitting between her eyes and perfect, full lips. I dig my fingernails into my palms to keep from violating her crystal clear but total bullshit line.

Miranda pulls one of the counter stools out in front of her like she needs a physical barrier between us. "Cole, we can be friends. But nothing else."

"Sexy friends?"

"No!" But she smiles despite herself. Her smile drops, and she says quietly, "No. Just friends."

I consider her. "And this is entirely because of your responsibility to your brother?"

Miranda hesitates. "Yes. No. I don't know."

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