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  Cole wasn’t worried about holding his own in a fight against Jake, but that was the last thing he wanted. They were friends, and he didn’t want Jake to think he’d compromised that friendship by taking advantage of his little sister. Cole pushed him back so he could step away from the wall. “Just relax, we—”

  “I trusted you. When you talked to us about all that sick shit you were in to, I never thought you’d try makin’ my baby sister one of your submissives.” He said the word like it left a foul taste in his mouth.

  “Look, it’s not like that.” He reached for his shirt and took a minute to put it on while he tried to decide how to define his relationship with Charlene. “We’re friends.”

  Jake glared at him as he pointed at his sister. “You look like a hell of a lot more than that to me. I heard you.”

  Cole closed his eyes as he tried to shut out exactly what his friend had heard. He knew he was on the slick side of sane by the time he realized someone was at the door, but he wouldn’t let himself believe that he pushed Charlene further than she was willing to go. He looked at her, desperate to make amends. “Sweetheart, I—”

  “Get the fuck out of here,” Jake said, shoving him. “Before I throw you out.”

  Charlene shivered beneath the blanket and stared at the ground instead of looking at him.

  “Baby, please,” Cole said, taking a step toward her. “I need to—”

  “What you need to do is get the hell out of here before I arrest you!” Jake shouted, pushing Cole towards the door. He picked up Cole’s boots and hurled them outside, hitting the door and window of his truck. “If you ever come near my sister again, so help me God, I’ll see your ass in jail.”

  “Listen to me—”

  Cole stood staring at the closed door, feeling sick to his stomach as he tried to imagine what Charlene was thinking. If he’d lost her… No, losing her wasn’t an option he was willing to consider.

  “Just give me a minute,” Charlene said to her brother as she made her way into the powder room. Thankfully a robe hung on the back of the door, and she slipped into it before leaning over the sink to stare at her reflection in the small oval mirror. Her mind raced as she tried to come to terms with what had happened tonight.

  Cole was rough, but it was exhilarating, knowing she could make a man lose control like that. Aside from that summer night with Cole, her sex life was mundane, to say the least. Her lovers were always gentle and respectful, as though they thought she was made of glass. She loved that Cole wasn’t afraid to unleash his passion on her, prompting her to do the same.

  She blushed when she thought about what her brother had overheard. She screamed Cole’s name, pierced his back with her fingernails, begged, pleaded for him to make her come for a third time. How mortifying was that? She knew her big brother didn’t even want to think about her having sex, much less bear witness to her enthusiastic response at the hands of one of his closest friends.

  A knock on the door startled her, and she pressed a hand on her chest to still her racing heart. How would she handle this? How could she make her brother understand?

  “Get out here, kid. We need to talk. Now.”

  Jake had always been bossy, a habit she hoped he would outgrow now that they were adults. No such luck. She took a deep breath and pulled the bathroom door open, pushing past him. “If you’re going to lecture me about my sex life, save it. I’m a big girl. I can sleep with anyone I want to.”

  Jake followed her into the living room where she folded the blanket and stoked the dwindling fire. “What the hell happened to Paul? I thought things were gettin’ serious with him?”

  She knew she shouldn’t have invited Paul and his daughter to Thanksgiving dinner at her parents’ house. Now everyone assumed it was only a matter of time before they announced their engagement. “Paul and I never agreed to be exclusive.”

  “Come on, I saw the way he looked at you when the folks had them over for dinner. That guy’s crazy about you.”

  She turned to face him, deciding complete disclosure was the only way to get him to back down. “Paul and I have never been intimate. So if you think I’m sleeping around, I’m not.”

  Jake raked his hands through his hair, looking as embarrassed as she felt. “That’s not the point, and you know it. You can’t be with Cole.”

  Setting her hands on her hips, she glared up at him. “Who the hell are you to tell me who I can and can’t sleep with? I’m not some little girl you can—”

  He held his hand up to halt her tirade. “Everyone knows Cole’s deal. How could you even think about gettin’ involved with him?” Jake sighed as he started pacing the room. “If you don’t care about your own reputation, at least think about what this will do to mama and daddy. What’ll their friends at church say about this?”

  After forcing herself to take a deep breath, Charlene said, “I can’t believe you’re saying these things. I thought Cole was one of your best friends.”

  Jake scowled at the floor where the blanket had been spread out in front of the fireplace. “He was, until I found out he was takin’ advantage of my baby sister. Who the hell does—”

  “Stop it! Cole didn’t take advantage of me. You said you were standing outside; you should know I was a willing participant.”

  His face paled as he sank into an armchair. “I don’t get it. Are you tellin’ me you’re into that stuff? You get off on men hurtin’ you, degradin’ you…”

  “It’s never been like that with Cole. He—”

  “Hold on a minute. What do you mean it’s never been like that with Cole? Are you tellin’ me y’all have been together before?”

  Charlene knew her brother would hound his friend until he got the whole story. She’d much rather save Cole the grief. “There was one other time, during summer break when I was home from school. We met at Dixie’s. We didn’t intend to see each other again after that, but—”

  Jake raised his hand. “Are you tellin’ me you planned on havin’ a one-night stand with some stranger you picked up in a bar? What the hell were you thinkin’?”

  “I didn’t set out to, but…”

  “But what?”

  “I was attracted to him. I was curious about—”

  “Forget it. I don’t want to know the details.”

  Grateful he wasn’t pressing her for intimate details about their encounter, Charlene gladly changed direction. “You know his daughter is in my class this year, right?”

  “Yeah. So?”

  How could she describe her relationship with Cassidy? Did she have the courage to tell her brother that she’d grown to love the little girl almost as much as her stubborn daddy? “Cole volunteered for a field trip, helps out with pizza lunch on Fridays…” She smiled at her brother’s shocked expression. “He even offered to coach the basketball team with me.”

  “You know he’s just doin’ all this to get in good with you, don’t you? The only time he showed his face at the school before you started workin’ there was at drop off and pick up time.”

  Since Jake also had a little boy attending the same school, she knew his assessment was probably accurate. “He brings me coffee every day after school, and we sit and talk.” She smiled as she claimed the chair across from her brother. “Cassidy cleans the chalkboard, sharpens pencils, feeds the fish, and plays with our hamster, Henry.” She grinned when Jake rolled his eyes. “I know I’m not supposed to admit that I have a favorite student, but Cassidy is special.”

  “You obviously think her old man’s pretty special too, huh?”

  “You know him, Jake. He’s not a bad guy. He loves his little girl more than anything.”

  “Yeah, but not enough to save her the embarrassment of everyone knowin’ she’s got a father who’s into… that.” He sighed. “Look, I’m not denyin’ Cole’s a good guy. If he wasn’t, I wouldn’t be friends with him.” He shrugged. “It’s never bothered me before. I figured, what’s it to me what he does behind closed doors? As long as his partner
’s consentin’, he can do whatever the hell he wants.” His eyes darkened. “But he sure as hell won’t be doin’ it with my baby sister. I can promise you that.”

  She clasped her hands in her lap and tried to calm down. “You don’t get to decide. I do.”

  “Everyone knows what the deal is with Cole. Everyone. He made the mistake of goin’ out with a few local girls when he first came to town, and I’m tellin’ you it was big news at Mavis’s diner by breakfast Monday mornin’.”

  “It’s none of anyone’s business.” She knew that was true, but people gossiped about it just the same.

  “You really wanna get mixed up in his mess? Jesus, Char, you’re a teacher. You’re supposed to be a role model for those kids. What are people gonna think when they find out you’re seein’ Cole?”

  “You don’t think I’ve thought about that?” She cursed the tear sliding down her cheek. “You think I want to feel this way? You think I want to subject myself to ridicule, put my job at risk, and have everybody talking about me behind my back? I don’t, okay?”

  Jake reached out to grab her hand. “Then just stay the hell away from him. You’ve got a good guy in Paul. Focus on buildin’ that relationship and forget about this thing with Cole.”

  “That’s just it; I don’t know if I can.” She looked Jake in the eye. “I care about him. A lot.”

  He swore softly before squeezing her hand. “I’m not sayin’ it’ll be easy, especially with Cassidy bein’ in your class, but you need to try and keep your distance. Gettin’ involved with him can only hurt you, honey. I know him. He’s not interested in settlin’ down. He likes his life out on the ranch, and he likes bein’ free. Trust me, he’s not lookin’ for a wife, and I know you don’t want to be alone forever, do you?”

  “No, of course not. But—”

  “I’m the only other person who knows what happened here tonight and I intend to keep it that way. Just put that guy out of your mind. It’ll save us all a lot of grief, and even more importantly, it’ll spare you a broken heart.”

  She didn’t want to tell her brother it was too late to save her heart.

  Chapter Six

  Cole cursed when he saw Jake’s truck pull into his driveway the next morning. With a throbbing headache and persistent ache in his chest that had only worsened when Charlene refused to take his calls, he was not in the mood to deal with her overprotective brother today.

  Without waiting for Jake to knock, Cole pushed the back door open. Might as well get this over with. He knew his friend wouldn’t leave until he’d had his say. “What’re you doin’ here so early on a Saturday mornin’? As if I didn’t know.”

  “I just saw your mama and Cassidy in town. I thought this might be a good time for us to talk.”

  Cole knew there would never be a good time for this conversation. “Come on in. I was just makin’ some breakfast. You want some?”

  Jake followed Cole into the kitchen and headed for the stainless steel carafe. “Just coffee, thanks.”

  Plating his eggs and bacon, Cole said, “Suit yourself.” His appetite was virtually non-existent this morning, but he still had a ranch to run, and that required a lot of stamina. “Pull up a chair and let me have it.”

  Jake leaned against the counter, coffee cup in hand, and glared at him. “What the hell were you thinkin’ gettin’ involved with Charlene of all people? I thought you were my friend.”

  “Don’t give me that shit. I am your friend. This has nothin’ to do with you. This is between me and Charlene, nobody else.”

  “You really believe that?” Jake brought the heavy ceramic mug to his lips. “Man, I know you haven’t lived in a small town all your life the way we have, but you gotta know that people talk. And you know they do their fair share of talkin’ about you.”

  Cole shrugged. He didn’t care what they thought about him, unless the gossip hurt the people he loved. “Let ‘em say what they want about me. I don’t have to answer to anyone.”

  “What about your mama and your little girl?”

  “What about them?”

  “You ever think about what this is doin’ to them?” Jake took a deep swallow of the strong brew before he said, “I know Cassidy’s too young to understand, but she won’t always be this young. What happens when you have to explain your choices to your daughter?”

  Just thinking about it made Cole sick. “I’ll worry about that when the time comes.”

  “That time may be comin’ sooner than you think, man. Trust me, I’ve got a kid not much older than Cassidy, and I know that kids start talkin’ about sex a lot earlier than when we were their age.”

  “What’s your point?” As if he didn’t know. “You tryin’ to reform me, make me worthy of your sister?”

  Jake smirked. “You’ll never be worthy of my baby sister. But then, no one will.”

  “I’m sure Tucker felt the same way.”

  Jake was married to his best friend, Tucker’s, younger sister, Jessica. The difference was they all grew up together, and Jake was a stand-up guy. His wife’s family had already considered him one of their own and welcomed him into the family with open arms. Cole knew his reputation preceded him. He could never expect Charlene’s family to welcome him.

  “I’m askin’ you, as a friend, to just stay the hell away from her.” Jake pulled out a chair at the opposite end of the table and sat down. “Don’t pull her into your mess. She doesn’t deserve that. You know what’ll happen. People will start talkin’ about her behind her back. She’ll be an outcast at work. The parents will condemn her. Everyone knows what you’re into. It’s not exactly a secret.”

  “I’ve never done any of that with Charlene, just so you know.” Sex with Charlene was as vanilla as he’d ever had, but for some reason, it filled a hole in his soul that being a Dom never had.

  “Good to know,” Jake said, wincing. “But that’s not even the point. If people find out you guys are seein’ each other, they’ll just assume you’re…she’s… well, you know…”

  Cole wanted to deny it, but he couldn’t. Jake was right. He didn’t see any way he could get involved with Charlene without causing her heartache, and the thought of hurting her destroyed him. No matter how much letting her go would hurt, he had to consider what having a relationship with him would do to her. “So, you want me to keep my distance?”

  “Not only for her sake, but for yours too. My sister can’t give you want you need. Find someone who’ll make you happy.”

  Jake had no idea how happy Charlene had made him, but spilling his guts now was pointless. It was over. “Don’t worry, I’ll back off.”

  “Thanks, man. I appreciate that.” He stood up and pushed away from the table. “It’s for the best, you’ll see.”

  Best for whom? Sure as hell not for him.

  When Charlene’s doorbell rang, she battled the urge to ignore it. Cole had called half a dozen times: twice last night before she finally drifted off and at least four times before breakfast. The phone had been quiet in the hours since breakfast, but that might have been because he decided to plead his case in person.

  “Hi, Miss McCoy,” Cassidy said, thrusting a canister at her. “Me and my nana made these last night. I thought you might like some.”

  Charlene grinned as she opened the canister to find several richly decorated gingerbread men and sugar cookies. The extra sprinkles and wiggly lines told Charlene they were Cassidy’s handiwork. “Did you decorate these yourself?”

  “I sure did,” she said, grinning to reveal two missing teeth. “You like ‘em?”

  “Like them? I love them!” Charlene smiled at Mrs. Braxton. She’d known the older woman most of her life, yet she never appreciated her chocolate brown eyes… with subtle gold flecks, just like her youngest son’s. “Um, why don’t you come in and have some hot chocolate?”

  “Oh, can we, Nana?” Cassidy asked, clasping her gloved hands in a pleading gesture.

  “We wouldn’t want to intrude on your day off, Charlene.�
��

  “Oh, you wouldn’t be. I was just taking care of a few things around here. Nothing that can’t wait a while.”

  “Okay,” she said, setting her hand on her granddaughter’s shoulder. “But we can’t stay long. Story time at the library is starting in an hour, and it’s my turn to read to the kids.”

  Mrs. Braxton had volunteered at the local library for as long as Charlene could remember. Even with her responsibilities at her family’s ranch, she was always active in the community, and now that her son ran the show, she spent most of her time doing charitable work.

  “Can I see Henry’s parents?” Cassidy asked, pulling off her hand-made piggy hat as she walked through the door.

  “Sure, they’re in the bedroom at the end of that hall. But make sure you close the door, just in case they manage to wriggle out of your hands.”

  Cassidy giggled. “Remember the first time I held Henry? He got away from me.”

  “I remember.”

  Charlene smiled as she stroked the little girl’s glossy ringlets. She knew professional decorum should prevent her from being so obvious about her growing feelings for Cassidy, but she couldn’t help it. She adored the little girl. She tried telling herself she would feel the same way even if she wasn’t Cole’s daughter, but the fact that she was a part of him definitely added to her charm.

  Mrs. Braxton watched her granddaughter run down the hall before turning her attention to Charlene. “That little girl is quite fond of you. But I’m sure you know that already, don’t you?”

  “I care about her too, a lot.” Charlene led her guest into the kitchen, placing the cookie canister in the middle of the table as she pulled out a chair for Cole’s mother. “Please, have a seat. I’ll start on that hot chocolate.”

  “You know my granddaughter has been through a lot, Charlene. It’s not easy for a little girl to grow up without a mother.”