Page 35 of Sneak Attack

“She’s putting me in my place, is all.”

“What place is that?”

Like I was telling him. If Marley got her way, which I refused to give her, my place would be in the man’s lap. Or arms. Or home.

I shuddered at the thought and crossed my arms over my chest. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be practicing or something?”

There wasn’t a day he didn’t. Not in high school and I doubted that changed now.

“Tuesdays are our days off. I usually bring Bongo out here for a swim if it’s nice.” He whistled, grabbed Bongo’s attention and when Cole threw his arm out, finger pointed at the water, Bongo took off like a rocket.

I watched him bound into the water without reservation, only freedom, and for not the first time since I whittled down my social circle to animals, was jealous of that.

“He’s a good dog.”

Heat, not from the sun, approached my side. It radiated off Cole like he wore a furnace with him wherever he went. I attempted to hold my breath, but it was no use. The scent of him invaded me, slithered through the coldest, darkest parts and warmed me straight to my core.

Damn Cole and the effect he always had on me.

“How’s your arm?”

“It’s fine.” I rubbed my other hand over the scratches and flinched when a sting of pain fired from one of the deeper ones.

His dark, penetrating gaze scanned my gaze like he could—or wanted—to heal my arm with a look. It was fine, only a couple scratches had truly bled, and it was partly my fault for using my arm to separate the dogs instead of my hips in the first place.

“Hmm.” We watched Bongo dance in the water, run to the edge and bark, gobble it with his mouth before jumping back in.

I should have left, but thathmmkept me rooted to the leaf-covered ground. Because I knew he was thinking, and the sadistic side of me wanted to hear his thoughts. Continue to inhale his sandalwood scent when the breeze kicked up just right.

“I guess you didn’t end up getting that art history degree you always wanted, then, huh?”

There it was.

The reminder of the history.

The reminder of the future I ran from.

We’d had it all planned.

He’d break up with Hilary over the summer before he left for the University of Tennessee. I’d follow in the fall. We’d go to college together—and live happily ever after.

“Why are you bringing this up?”

Tears burned my eyes I fought back so he couldn’t see. But it was Cole, and when it came to us, we always saw deeper than skin surface.

I should have believed Marley earlier, but I’d never tell her she was right.

He probablydidsee the devastation stamped all over me the first time he saw me, despite not showing it.

“Maybe because it’s time.”

CHAPTER13

EDEN

Time was a fickle thing. Days dragged on, and then suddenly a week was over. The summer crawled and as soon as fall hit, you blinked, and it was Christmas. The coolest winter months drew on and then it was springtime and sunshine and beach trips, and before you knew it you were complaining about the heat and humidity and another year had flown by.

The years since leaving Marysville had all been the same. Another year and another tally. Another day remembering the havoc I wreaked in a small town that was too good for me.

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