"She's happy to do it. And she only has a half day of school next Friday, so she'll come early if you want. She can watch Molly while you and Cole dress for the wedding."

"That would be perfect. Thank you again." She hung up the phone.

"Who are you thanking for what?"

She'd been so engrossed in her conversation she hadn't even heard the garage door go up or Cole come into the house.

"That was Lindsey. Nicki's going to babysit Molly next Friday. She's going to come here a little early so we have time to dress."

"Good." Relief flashed across his face for a brief moment. "And I'm glad you and Lindsey connected. I think the two of you could become good friends."

"So do I." And heaven knows I'll need one.

Despite her misgivings, the evening went even better than she hoped. Of course, she shouldn't have been surprised. She'd seen Cole at work, talking, smiling, using the famous Ca.s.sidy charm. She knew how well he could play a part. In the role of the perfect host, he was on solid footing.

Her father kept squeezing her arm and whispering, "Smart move, Tara. Very smart move."

"Thank you for tonight," she told Cole as they waved goodbye to her parents.

He frowned. "Tara, you must have a very low opinion of me to think I wouldn't want your parents to feel comfortable with this situation."

"I'm sorry." She felt herself tense up. "I just didn't want to put you in an awkward situation."

He sighed. "I know, and I'm sorry you have to worry about it. I want to make things as easy for you as I can."

"They think Molly is adorable."

"Fine. That will make life a lot easier for you." His face was lined with pain, his eyes filled with such anguish, Tara didn't know what to make of it.

"Don't you like children?" The words were out before she could stop herself and she wished she'd bitten her tongue.

A muscle jumped in his cheek.

"More than you know," he said in a harsh whisper. There was no mistaking the heartbreak in his voice. He turned on his heel and headed toward his den.

Tara bit back her tears and slowly climbed the stairs to her room. Whatever was eating at his soul, she hoped they could fix it before it destroyed him. Or both of them.

The next week was a blur for Tara. She moved her clothes and personal things from her house and shopped with her mother for a wedding outfit. She checked daily with Cole to make sure the temp was working out. And Friday moved closer and closer. She was glad for all the activity. It kept their problems at bay and her hormones from getting out of hand. Living in the same house with Cole was proving more of a challenge than she'd expected. If they accidentally touched, that same current sparked through them, like a miniature thunderbolt, startling them both. By unspoken agreement, they carefully avoided mentioning it, but it didn't seem to be going away. At least, she hadn't had any erotic dreams for a few nights.

Thursday night when Cole came home, he startled her with the news he'd made reservations for dinner after the ceremony.

"I thought we should do a little something to celebrate," he said.

"That's very nice of you." She hadn't expected a celebration of any kind.

"I want this to be a nice evening for you, Tara. It may not be the most standard marriage in the world, but we should treat it as something special, don't you think?"

She was touched by his thoughtfulness and felt the tension begin to ease. She smiled her thanks at him.

Promptly at one-thirty on Friday, Nicki Varner rang the doorbell. Once Tara had given her instructions, she hurried upstairs to get ready. She expected Cole home in a little while. He'd said they needed to leave at four.

Upstairs, Tara organized everything she needed. Her treat for the day was going to be a long, relaxing soak before she dressed, something to soothe and relax her. She was determined to approach the ceremony and dinner with the right att.i.tude, although she wasn't exactly sure what that would be. She closed the door from that bathroom to the nursery and locked it, giving herself complete privacy. Submerged in the hot water and bubbles, she closed her eyes and just let her thoughts drift.

He stood at the door to the bathroom studying her in the tub, that same heat flaring in his eyes...

"That looks good. Is there room in there for me?"

Tara felt her body respond immediately. "It's a big tub. Come on in."

In seconds, his clothes were piled on the floor and he was lowering himself into the water behind Tara. His legs bracketed her on either side, and she felt the thick hardness of his c.o.c.k pushing against her b.u.t.tocks. His hands slid up the soapy slickness of her ribs and cupped her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, thumbs rasping against the already hardened nipples.

"I love to touch you everywhere." Cole's breath was warm against her skin as he pressed his lips to the sensitive spot beneath her ear. "Your body is so responsive."

"Only with you," she murmured.

He pressed his thighs against her, gripping her, pushing himself more tightly against her.

"You have no idea how much I love to f.u.c.k you. Your c.u.n.t is so tight it's all I can do not to come the minute I'm inside you." He nipped at her earlobe. "Is it the same for you?"

"Yes. Nothing's better than having you inside me."

"Nothing?" he teased. "What about this?" One hand slipped down to cover her mound and press against her folds. "And this?" His finger dipped into her flesh and rubbed up and down. "Or this?" He slid the finger inside her, curling it to sc.r.a.pe the sensitive nerves.

"Yes," she hissed, shifting to impale herself on the finger. "Oh, yes."

"And what about this?" The finger moved upward to touch her c.l.i.t, lightly rubbing back and forth across the tip.

She felt the familiar flutters in her p.u.s.s.y, the clenching of the walls and wriggled against him.

"I'd f.u.c.k you now, but I don't have a condom."

For a heart-stopping moment, she thought he'd leave her in this state of suspended arousal. Then he moved his hand back down to her opening, and this time he thrust three fingers inside her. With the fingers of his other hand, he pinched her nipple, hard, then shifted it downward so his thumb and forefinger could grasp her c.l.i.t. As his fingers moved in and out of her c.u.n.t, he stroked her c.l.i.t with the same rhythm. His voice was almost harsh in her ear as he described to her over and over what he was doing to her and what he wanted to do.

Tara had to clutch the edges of the tub to hold herself steady, leaning back against the solid wall of Cole's chest. The o.r.g.a.s.m rose up and grabbed her so suddenly it took her breath away. She convulsed around his fingers over and over again, pushing down on them, needing to get them as deep into her as possible.

"That's it." His voice was heavy with l.u.s.t. "Come like that for me, Tara. More. Yes. Like that."

She was barely conscious of the water splashing over the side of the tub, rolling in little waves. For some strange reason, it was making a loud, banging sound. Like a knock...

"Tara?" Cole's deep voice. "Are you okay? I heard some strange noises and got worried about you."

Her eyes flew open.

Oh, s.h.i.t.

That was a loud banging, Cole's knuckles n the door. She sat up, sloshing more water over the side, trying desperately to compose herself. She certainly didn't need him breaking in here because he thought she was in distress. Oh, it was distress, all right, but of a different kind.

"I-I'm fine," she called. "Doing great. Thanks."

There was a slight pause. "Okay. If you're sure. Remember, we need to leave at four."

"I'll be ready," she a.s.sured him.

The tub water soothed her body, but her face was steaming hot, not just from the dream but because she'd nearly been caught. What was she going to do? She couldn't keep doing this.

Maybe she could take some kind of pill.

Yeah, right. She snickered at that. She'd need a lot more than a pill.

Sighing, she used her toes to release the plug, pulled herself out of the water and stepped onto the bathmat. Every inch of her body still tingled, especially her now-sensitive nipples and the walls of her c.u.n.t. She definitely needed to pull herself together before facing Cole again.

She looked at the little clock on the vanity. Three o'clock. Time to get busy. Wrapping herself in an oversized towel, she seated herself at the vanity and began to work on her hair and makeup.

What had she been doing in the bathroom that caused the noises he'd heard? Cole imagined her in the tub, and immediately, his c.o.c.k hardened. That naked body under a froth of bubbles, maybe with her dark hair piled on top of her head, leaving her neck bare for him to...

Stop it! You'll ruin everything.

In his room, he stripped off his clothes, headed for the shower and turned it on full force.

Maybe the water could beat whatever this out of him.

Whatever this is? It's pure l.u.s.t, d.a.m.n it all to h.e.l.l. Remember the trouble you got in last time? And this woman is going to be living in the house with you, so get over it.

But his body and his brain didn't seem to be in sync. He closed his eyes and his stupid brain took off on its own again.

The spray from four showerheads danced on the satin skin of her naked body...

G.o.d, he didn't think he'd ever get tired of looking at it. High b.r.e.a.s.t.s with dusky rose, pointed nipples. Slender waist. Slightly rounded tummy, just enough to give it a sensuous curve.

Hips curving down to her thighs, with the soft thatch of dark curls between them, covering her delicious c.u.n.t.

"Let me bathe you," he murmured, working the shower gel into a lather with his hands.

"All right," she whispered in a husky voice.

"Close your eyes."

When she did, he began sliding his hands down her body, from shoulder to hip, from neck to navel, pausing along the way to knead her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and tease her nipples until she was moaning softly. The moan turned into a hum when he smoothed the lather over her hips, her thighs and down the length of her legs. He circled her ankles with his fingers then trailed those same fingers up to the inside of her thighs.

She was trembling under his touch now. When he probed her slit, finding the entrance to her p.u.s.s.y, the humming sound grew louder and she flexed her hips at him. But before he could impale her on his fingers, she jerked away from him.

"What..."

She shook her head, smiling and reached for his iron-hard shaft. The feel of her fingers around him shattered every ounce of self-control. He had wanted this to be for her, but as always, she refused to take pleasure without giving. In his entire adult life, he had never had this kind of off-the-charts s.e.x with a woman who gave as much as she took. It pierced him emotionally as well as physically.

"Lean back and enjoy," she murmured to him.

And so he did, propping himself against the tile wall of the shower, closing his eyes and giving himself over to the carnal enjoyment. One hand reached down to cup his b.a.l.l.s while the other set up a steady rhythm, stroking his c.o.c.k from root to tip, moving faster and faster.

Then he was there, hips rocking as he jerked in her hands, spilling over her fingers.

He opened his eyes, wanting to see the heat in her eyes as he came for her and...

s.h.i.t! d.a.m.n it all to h.e.l.l.

The shower was empty except for him. It was his hands pumping his c.o.c.k and squeezing his b.a.l.l.s. He'd f.u.c.king done it again. He was angry, aroused and panicked, all at the same time.

Angry at his lack of control, aroused by the erotic images and panicky because he had an underlying feeling that something was going on here that was more than just jerking himself off.

In disgust, he turned the shower to freezing cold and let it pound at him, hoping to beat the l.u.s.t from his body and jumpstart his brain. If he didn't stop having these dreams, he was going to be so totally screwed.

For a fleeting moment, he wondered if, by some rare chance, the same thing was happening to Tara. Was she having the same scorching fantasies about him? Ridiculous as it seemed, if she was and they ever actually did this for real, they would probably set the house on fire.

Meanwhile, he had to stuff himself back behind the walls he'd erected and get on with today's activities. And hope that what was going on in his mind didn't show on his face. Or worse, on his body.

Finished in the bathroom, Tara took out the silk lingerie she'd bought and slipped it on.

The feel of the smooth material against her skin was almost sensuous.

Why am I doing this? No one will ever see it.

It made her feel good, and she really needed that. Dressed in an ivory suit and matching heels, she took a look at herself in the mirror. It had been a long time since she'd dressed in anything but jeans and a blouse or T-shirt. That's what she wore to work, and that's what she wore at home. Her meager social life didn't demand anything else. She looked at the new dressed-up Tara with a mixture of anxiety and pleasure. All she needed to add to her outfit was her jewelry and she'd be all set. She hoped.

She was just tucking a pearl comb into the back of her hair when someone tapped on her bedroom door.

"It Cole. May I come in?"

Cole? What now? "Yes, of course."

He came to stand behind her. Reflected in the mirror, he looked incredibly handsome in his dark suit and snow-white shirt. The cloth hung impeccably on his large body, the shirt setting off his dark, good looks. She knew his feet would be encased in his familiar trademark boots, polished to a high gloss.

He cleared his throat. "You're an extraordinary woman, Tara. I appreciate the fact that you've agreed to do this. It appears to be working out well with the child. I want you to know I'm very grateful."

The stilted words weren't the romantic speech she'd hoped for in the unlikely event she ever remarried, but they certainly weren't words to take lightly. If grat.i.tude was what she got, she'd take comfort from that.

"I appreciate that."

With great care, he reached around in front of her and handed her a small box.

She frowned at it. "What's this?"

"Just a little wedding gift from the groom to the bride." There was a stiffness, both to his posture and his voice. "I believe it's appropriate."