Page 26 of Refuge
“I’ll hurry,” Sherry called out as she headed toward Gemma’s. “And I’ll leave you some hot water.”
“I need to get some clean clothes.” Leeza headed toward her tent, her hand in his. This was nice. Really nice. She had missed him. “How was your day?”
“Good,” he replied, walking beside her. “Ari missed you.”
“Ah, I missed him too.” Leeza ducked inside her tent, hurried through her limited amount of clothes, found some clean ones and climbed back out.
“Did you miss anyone else?” Cole, who stood waiting for her, asked, his eyebrow cocked.
She pretended to think hard about it for a minute with a thoughtful frown. “No, not really.”
Seeing the disappointment quickly cross his face before disappearing made her feel bad. Real bad. “You, Cole. I missed you.” She stared up into his eyes. “So much I couldn’t stop watching the clock and the day dragged.”
A strange look crossed his face as he cupped her chin. “I couldn’t stop looking at my watch,” he admitted, then grinned. “Pathetic, aren’t we?”
“Sickening,” she agreed, then wrapped her arms around him, giving him a tight hug. “Sorry, I know I stink, but I’ve wanted to do this all day.” She felt his chuckle rumble through his chest.
“I’ll wait until later to tell you what I’ve wanted to do to you all day,” he teased, then led them toward Gemma’s. “But you better get showered. Gemma wants to have a barbecue, but I want to talk to you first.”
“Sounds serious.” Leeza frowned, hoping nothing was wrong.
“I didn’t ask… how was your day?” She noticed Cole avoided answering by asking a question as they stopped, just as Sherry cut them off, running into Gemma’s little house with another promise that she’d hurry.
Leeza hoped her smile didn’t look as fake as it felt. “Good.” Then she added, hoping to throw him off from realizing she wasn’t as happy as she’d hoped to be with her new job, “And you’ll be happy to know that Lance wasn’t even there.”
“Damn, I’m liking him more and more,” Cole replied with a sarcastic snort.
Leeza rolled her eyes at him, but then glanced toward the enclosures. Her eyes found Ari’s, who lay under his new shelter that had been built today. Sadness crept into her heart. She had wanted to help build his shelter. Maybe she should have thought this job thing through a little better, but she needed money. She couldn’t keep showering at Gemma’s and living out of a tent. She needed a car, clothes, food and—
“Hey, what is it?” Cole’s voice broke into her thoughts as he turned her face toward his.
Before she could answer, Sherry hurried outside. “Next!” She smiled at Leeza as she passed.
“That was fast.” Leeza pulled away from Cole’s touch, not ready to talk about her feelings. Instead, she gave him a small smile and hurried to the door. “I’ll be right back,” she said, without looking at him.
Chapter 14
Cole started to go after Leeza, but Eric called out to him. “Get over here and help set up.”
Dammit. He didn’t want to miss his opportunity to talk to her before Eric spoke about the trailers on the property next door. Seeing Alex coming from around the trailer, he yelled, “Alex, come here.”
Alex rushed over. “What’s up?”
“Do me a favor and go help Eric for me.” Cole nodded to where Eric, along with other members, were busy setting up for the barbecue.
“Sure, no problem.” Alex took off, no questions. Yeah, he liked the kid. If that had been Kile, Cole would have got the third degree. He wondered if he could switch his brother out? The thought made him chuckle.
Glancing around, he headed inside Gemma’s house. It was small, so it didn’t take long to hear the shower. He’d never been inside before, but he found the bathroom quickly. As quietly as possible, he opened the door and slipped inside, closing the door behind him. Leaning against the sink, he watched the outline of Leeza’s body through the shower curtain. Damn, she was built. His cock hardened as it always did with her.
The sight of her bathing was almost more than he could stand. But he had to remember he was in Gemma’s house and he needed to respect that by not ripping her shower curtain off the railing and fucking Leeza against the white tiles of the shower. He shifted himself, trying to ease the tightening in his jeans.
The water turned off, and the shower curtain was pulled. Leeza jumped at the sight of him, her wet body bare for his eyes. His gaze roamed her body. Sweat beaded his forehead from the restraint needed to hold him back.
His eyes returned to hers after they got their fill of her body and he saw desire reflecting back at him in their depths. “If this wasn’t Gemma’s home, I would be fucking you right now.”
Her tongue slipped between her full lips at his words, running along her bottom lip before disappearing. “That’s a shame.” Her voice was low and husky as she continued to stand there for his eyes to feast. “Guess I better get dressed then.”
He could only nod, but he’d be damned if he left while she did that. She took her time drying herself, giving him sideways glances as she did so. As she put her bra on, her fingers skimmed her breasts, and he about flew off the sink and attacked her. That was a dirty move, but he fucking enjoyed the hell out of it. He reached down and adjusted his cock, surprised when her eyes followed his hand. Desire flared her nostrils as well as brightening her eyes. She liked that, did she? Good, he’d use it against her once they were alone and not in Gemma’s house.