Page 25 of Under Pressure

During the long flight, I thought through everything that had happened over the last week, and the whole damn time I couldn’t seem to wipe the stupid grin off my face. From the seat beside me, Reese kept casting curious glances my way. She probably thought I was excited about getting home so I could head back to Colorado. But this adventure, and me tagging along with her, had to be about getting the two of us together. Whoever set it up had to know how we felt about each other. Heck, I watched the shark dive video this morning when packing, and anyone who looks at us can surely see what we feel for each other. It’s in the way we gaze at each other, in our body language.

I just need to figure out a way to show her how much I care, and how she is way more important to me than some job in Colorado, and that I really came home because I couldn’t stay away for one more agonizing minute.

Can I make her believe that?

After we land, we exit the plane and make our way to our luggage. As we stand there waiting, Reese yawns and my phone pings. I rub my tired eyes and read the text from my brother, who’s coming home next week for his high school reunion. Deciding to respond later, I shove my phone into my pocket, grab our luggage from the carousel, and follow Reese out into the dark night.

I hail a cab and climb in beside her. She’s been so quiet, so out of sorts, that all I want to do is pull her into my arms and tell her everything will be all right. At least, I hope it will be. I hope the plan I’ve been mulling over will make everything right between us. If it doesn’t, well… Nope. Stop. Not even going there. It has to work. Simple as that.

I give the cabbie Reese’s address, and when he finally pulls up to her condo, I open my door. She touches my hand to stop me.

“It’s okay. I’ve got this.”

“So do I.”

“Cole, I can take care of myself,” she says.

“I know you can. But if you think I’m letting you out on the sidewalk in the middle of the night, you don’t know me at all. Now, come on. I am walking you to your door.”

“Fine,” she says. “Bossy much?” she adds under her breath.

I ignore the jibe because I know she’s trying so hard to show me her independence so that I won’t worry about her. I do know she can take care of herself. But goddammit, I want to take care of her. In fact, I want us to take care of each other, rely on each other, like two people who love each other should do.

I grab her luggage and follow her up the steps to her place. She unlocks the door and stands there for a second like she’s not sure what to do next. Coming to her rescue, I drop a soft kiss onto the top of her head. “Night,” I say.

She spins around. “Cole.”

“Yeah?”

She goes quiet for a long time, shifting from one foot to the other. “Hate you.”

I can’t help but grin. “I know.”

Chapter Nine

Reese

One long week has passed since we arrived home, and I’ve been going to work like a zombie and locking myself into my condo at night, wallowing in my own misery. Why did I think I could have sex with Cole and still be friends?

Stupid, stupid girl.

I look at my suitcase, which is still lying on the floor in the front entrance. I haven’t even emptied it or washed the clothes that have Cole’s scent on them. Oh, God, how could I have messed things up so badly?

Forcing myself up from the sofa and away from the ice cream that has become my best friend over the last week, I pad across the room and unzip the suitcase. The shark diving video falls out.

“How the heck did this get in my bag?”

Okay, great, now I’m talking to myself. I’m in worse shape than I thought. I shake my head and look at the disc. Maybe the laundry could wait. I walk over to the DVD, pop the disc in, and reach for my ice cream as I plunk back down on my comfy sofa.

When Cole comes into vie

w, my heart races. I watch the way he takes care of me, holds me in his arms when the shark comes close. Yeah, and that’s the reason I had to send him away. I’m not his responsibility, for God’s sake. The man has a life to live, one that doesn’t revolve around his chickenshit friend.

But when the camera zooms in on us, and I once again see something in Cole’s eyes, something that resembles want and desire, my heart punches into my throat. I grab the remote and rewind to the beginning of the scene, sure I’m seeing things again. But no. There it is, caught on camera. In my heart, I can tell the way he is looking at me goes well beyond friendship. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was looking at me with love in his eyes. Not friendship love, but real love. The kind of love between two people who always put the other’s best interests first.

Holy shit.

I drop the spoonful of ice cream and jump up, my pulse pounding so hard in my neck I think I might pass out. Just then my phone pings and I run to it. Please be Cole.

---