Chapter Fifteen
“Where are you rushing off to?”
Sienna gave a weak smile as she fastened her bra, then reached for her dress, which was still in a crumpled pile on the floor next to the bed. It was remarkably difficult to get dressed while keeping the sheet around her body.
“I need to go home.” She cleared her throat. “To the inn. I’m sure you need to get to work and...” She stretched out a toe, trying to inch the dress closer. “I should call the office. I’ve been missing a lot of client meetings so I check in with my assistant first thing in the morning. It makes me feel like I’m not totally out of touch.”
Cole had been in the bathroom for a few minutes, which had given her much needed time to collect herself after the best two orgasms of her life. She’d never thought herself the kind of woman to be affected by great sex, although maybe that was because up until Cole, she’d only had mediocre intimate relationships. Mediocre at best, as the saying went.
“You’re talking fast like you’re uncomfortable,” Cole said, bending forward and plucking her dress off the floor.
She sighed and reached out a hand. “Babbling,” she muttered. “It’s called babbling.”
One corner of his mouth kicked up, then he dropped down next to her on the bed. He’d put on his boxers, although his bare chest was plenty distracting. She was currently dealing with something way more serious than physical attraction. She was falling hard and fast for Sheriff Cole Bennett.
Falling in love.
It was ridiculous and painfully ill-advised. Cole had all but admitted he was going to hurt her. Her brother had warned her. Her father had warned her.
Sienna might be new to having so many men who cared in her life, yet she wasn’t a fool. She’d be an idiot to let herself fall in love with Cole, not when her time in Crimson might be temporary and he hadn’t given her any sign he wanted anything long-term.
“I’m an idiot,” she muttered, quickly ripping off the sheet and pulling up her dress. It had been easy to feel confident about her body when she was in the throes of passion. Now she felt too exposed.
“I like the babbling,” Cole said, giving her arm a playful nudge.
She stood, turning away from him, and slipped her arms into the dress, struggling to tug the zipper all the way up. She felt his warm body at her back a moment later. With gentle fingers, he gathered her hair and draped it over one shoulder, then zipped up the dress.
“I know it’s silly,” she protested, “that I get nervous around you.” She grabbed her shoes off the floor and forced herself to meet his gaze. “I’m sorry I’m bad at the morning-after stuff.”
“Technically, it’s still the morning of.”
She groaned. Why couldn’t she manage to act normal five minutes after the best sex of her life? “Even worse.”
“You’re cute.” He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose.
She wanted to splay her hands across his bare chest, push him back down on the bed and have her merry way with him.
“Ireallyneed to go,” she said instead.
“Okay.” He traced the tip of one finger along her jaw. “But promise me you won’t let this freak you out. It’s not a big deal.”
If they gave out Academy Awards for keeping a poker face, Sienna would be a front-runner. It felt like Cole had just driven his fist into her chest. She could actually feel her heart shriveling as his words spread like a cancer through her.
“Of course,” she agreed, forcing a bright smile. He frowned, as if he detected the hysterical edge to her voice but couldn’t quite figure out what had caused it. “I’ll catch you on the flip side, Sheriff.” She placed a quick kiss on his mouth, then turned and gave what she hoped was a jaunty wave.
“I’ll check in at the hospital later,” he called, and she lifted her arm again, then pulled it tight to her side when she realized her fingers were shaking like an aspen leaf in the wind.
She grabbed her purse and quickly let herself out of Cole’s house, only realizing as she stood on the front porch that she had no mode of transportation to get home. Not home. To the inn. She had no home at the moment.
Tears of pain and embarrassment pricked at the backs of Sienna’s eyes. Afraid Cole would realize she’d taken an Uber from the hospital to his house, she hurried down the sidewalk and around the corner. Still somewhat unfamiliar with Crimson’s geography, despite the small-town flavor, she punched the B&B’s address into the GPS on her phone and began walking the neighborhood streets in the direction it sent her.
The morning was lovely, as seemed to be the norm in Colorado. A chill hung in the air but the sun shining from a clear blue sky was quickly warming things. She held her heels in one hand, appreciating the feel of the sidewalk beneath her feet. The cool pavement acted to ground her, helping her to remember she was more than just her aching heart.
She waved to an older woman sweeping off her front walk. The woman stared for several seconds, then called, “Dana?”
“I’m her daughter,” Sienna answered, slowing her pace.
The woman walked closer. “Of course. I heard you were in town. You really do look so much like her.”
