Love Unspoken (13 page)

Now her father was going to stand there as if he knew anything
and everything about them. What was it, had even called him Clay. Noelle
bristled.

“His name isn’t Clay, it’s Cole,” she bit out.
And I don’t
appreciate you calling him a boy.
Cole could probably bench press him with
one hand.

“His name is unimportant. There are too many similarities for me
not to be concerned. I thought you were out of this stage, attempting to punish
your mother and I for only trying to do right by you and your sister. You’re a
grown woman, Noelle, and you’re intent on ruining your life. Take your sister
for example. We’ve never had to worry about her. Aleah is no dummy. Her husband
is a respectable attorney, why can’t you—?”

Noelle shook her head and held up a hand. She knew where this was
headed and damn sure was about to nip it in the bud. “Respectable?” She placed
a hand on her hip. “Is that code word for black, daddy?”

“Now wait a minute. I have nothing against this man because he’s
white. Don’t start putting words in my mouth.”

“What else am I supposed to think? Why isn’t Cole respectable? He
works hard, harder than anyone else I know.”
Including you.

Her father nodded. “I don’t disbelieve that, but like I stated I
don’t have a grudge against this young man. It’s my family I’m concerned about.
The family that had to live through everyone in Denver knowing our teenage
daughter was hospitalized for almost overdosing on heroin and running around
with anyone you thought would upset your mother and I.”

Noelle flinched. The way he described her made her seem unfit for
human company, undeserving of someone as sweet and gentle as Cole, although he
made it seem as if she was the one who needed protection from the love of her
life.

“I’m not that person anymore. I thought you might have picked up
on that sometime during the years.”

“I know you’ve become a dedicated worker. I’m proud of you for
turning things around Noelle, but when I see that you’re about to backtrack
instead of moving forward, there’s no way I can keep my mouth shut. Especially
not when it affects all of us.”

Noelle narrowed her brows. “So you think Cole is going lead me
down the wrong path or am I going to be the one doing the leading?”

“It means I don’t want you to issue him an invitation into the
house and it also means I want to see you do some serious thinking on your
future. You can’t keep running around with these young men who can barely help
themselves.”

Noelle pushed back her chair. “Do you dole out this advice to all
of your employees? You’ve made it clear I’m just an employee living here. I
don’t think you have a say in anything I do.”

Her father sighed and went to the door. “You’re still the same
self indulgent young woman you’ve always been. You’ve never wanted to realize
how lucky you are, never appreciated how much your mom and I sacrificed to give
you a better life than the one we had growing up.” He pinned her with a stare.
“Well, this is it. No one is going to pick up after your mess this time and you
won’t be able to claim the title of employee in this company or family. You
hear me?”

He didn’t wait for an answer. Noelle watched the door close
behind him. Sighing, she thought,
one step forward, two steps back
. Her
father was more than likely on his way downstairs to repeat everything to her
mother, marking the end of the timid reconciliation between the two women.

Noelle sank onto the mattress. Her father thought this was the
same as her previous relationships, but it wasn’t. Nothing about this was the
same except for the fact Cole was hired help and poor. She hadn’t imagined the
gentle way he treated her or the tender affection he displayed for her alone.
Unlike the men in her past, Cole wanted the best for her and for the first time
in years she was going to be selfish and forsake everyone who disagreed with
her relationship with Cole.

Chapter
Twelve

“Hey Cole, is it true?”

Cole gritted his teeth and turned in the direction of the
tenderfoots he was leading to round up the herd of cattle for inspection. He
disliked it when they tried to engage him in conversation and had purposely
separated himself from them each day, apart from using the various signals to
help them learn the ropes when the foreman left him in charge.

Hat low on his face and bandanna covering his mouth from the dry Colorado dust, Cole glared at the man giving him a better-not-fuck-with-me look. He’d
cultivated the look years ago to make up for what he couldn’t verbally express.

The twenty-year old, Leewood looked over at the others, his eyes
glinting nervously and chuckled. “Aw, come on man, lighten up. The trail is
shit boring, just tryna’ have some fun. I heard the foreman nearly had a heart
attack when he saw that hot black chick coming out of your room.”

He swung his gaze ahead, not wishing for those idiots to see any
reaction from him. He had no idea anyone knew of Noelle’s visits to his room.
He’d spoken to Beau at least twice since the day started and not once had the
man hinted at the knowledge. Now it seemed to be common knowledge that he and
Noelle were sleeping together. Cole frowned. Was that the reason Beau had been
assigning him the less desirable tasks all week, including having to oversee
the laziest set of cowpokes he’d ever come across? In any case, that was the
least of it. He hoped to God word hadn’t reached Noelle’s father yet. Not that
he feared the man, but he doubted Noelle had any idea they were the subject of
gossip for anyone looking to add some excitement to the staid ranch life.

“For real, Cole. You’re like my idol, dude. You’re the biggest
guy on the ranch, I’ve been pumping iron and I doubt I’ll get halfway close to
your size and to top it off, you’re laying Noelle Williams.” The others laughed
in agreement, spurring the idiot on. “We know you can’t give details, but damn,
is she any good?”

Another one near the back yelled out. Cole recognized the voice
to be Mike, the wannabe ladies man. “I just wanna know, what’s it like fucking
a black chick? Think that’s my next territory to explore.”

Next territory. Like he was some fucking Casanova. Cole clenched
his jaw and glanced backward to let them know he didn’t find a damn thing
amusing about the conversation as another shouted out. “Hey Cole, when you’re
finished with the little filly, just send her on over this way. Might be able
to show her a few tricks with the ropes.”

Loud raucous laughter erupted and the buffoon leaned over his
mare high fiving his friend. White-hot fire flashed before his eyes and steam
coursed through his veins. Reining in his temper, Cole swallowed the urge to
jump down and yank the fuckers off their horses and pound them into the red
dusty earth. Instead he took a deep breath. No surprise, not a single one of
them wore their chaps. Probably thought it was cooler to go without. Cole looked
ahead at the path toward the range then switched his gaze to the shadowed grove
on the left, a path no longer used because of the many varieties of wild bushes
and thorn. A nightmare for any cowboy without a pair of chaps to rely on
against the abrasive plants, able to cut through the jeans.

Too fucking bad for them
.

Without further acknowledging the men, he waved his arm toward
the right and kicked his spurs into the horse. A few minutes into the prickly
trail and his sex life with Noelle would be the last thing on their minds.

****

Hours later when he returned to the ranch, Cole hung up his
saddle and gave the horse a pat on the rump before closing the stall and
heading out to dining hall. He didn’t have much of an appetite tonight. The
thought of his relationship with Noelle being aired out in the open for
everyone to dissect made his stomach turn.

Cole waited outside the hall. He needed to have a talk with the
foreman. As Beau exited the building, Cole took note of the hesitancy in the
older man’s stride toward him. Guilty conscience.

“How did the drive go?” Beau asked, coming to a stand beside him.

It didn’t go beyond his notice that Beau refrained from signing
along with speaking the sentence as he’d always done before.

“Fine, but you already know that. I suppose you know just
about everything that goes on around here.”

Beau pulled off his hat and hit it against his leg. “What’s the
hostility about?”

“You don’t have enough to do around here without watching what
I’m doing?”

The foreman shook his head, jaw set. “Oh. This is about you managing
to get the Williams girl in the sack with you?”

Managing
. He made it sound like he roped the girl and
dragged Noelle into his bed. If only the man knew how sweetly and willing she
came to him each and every night, so much that it made his chest swell with
pride.

“Why do you care so much?
” He didn’t even know why he
bothered to ask. It was evident Beau was jealous and could not understand why
Noelle would choose him over everyone else. He didn’t doubt for a minute that
sentiment was echoed throughout the ranch.

“It’s no sweat off my back. I just wonder how long you think it’s
gonna last, if you think Williams is gonna accept you being with his daughter.”

Cole frowned. Whatever respect he had for Noelle’s father,
disappeared the day he heard the man berating her. Although, if Noelle cared
about the man, then deep down a part of him did want Mr. Williams’ acceptance
if only for the sake of her.

“You think if it was you it would make a difference?”
Again
he already knew the answer. Because of his lack of speech, on some level most
people automatically, regardless if they wanted to admit it or not, felt
inherently higher than him.

Beau shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I’m not in love with the girl,
like I said, I was just surprised by the two of you and let it slip. My bad. No
harm meant, no harm done. Get over it, cowboy.”

Cole shook his head.
No harm.
He didn’t expect that from
his foreman. Ever since he came on the ranch the man had shown him nothing but
respect and praising his skills, but all that meant shit when it came to a
woman. He wasn’t supposed to be the one who got the pretty girl.

Afterward, Cole returned to the living areas and swung open the
door to his room, stopping short when he saw a figure curled up in his bed.
Noelle. He could see a few strands of her shiny dark hair sticking out from
under the sheet. He closed the door lightly not wishing to rouse her from
sleep. Damn. What he wouldn’t give to come home to her every evening in a place
of their own.

The figure shifted and Cole moved closer to her as she sat up in
the bed. Bright red, tear- streaked eyes shone back at him.

His heart hammered.
“What’s wrong?”
He hoped her father
hadn’t hurt her.

She shook her head and slipped her arms around his neck.
“Nothing,” she choked out. “Everything… everything is wrong except this.”

Cole pulled back and stared at her, searching her watery eyes. He
hadn’t wanted to rush her into confiding in him, but he was still worried about
why she chose to remain living with her parents when they, at least her father
had no respect for her. It made no sense. Not for an intelligent, confident
woman like her.

He kissed her forehead, then signed.
“Tell me, beauty. Nothing
can be that bad to have you curled up in my bed, crying.”

She shook her head. “I want to Cole. I swear to God I want to
tell you, but I can’t. Not right now.” Her voice broke as she continued. “I
know it doesn’t seem fair and you’ve been so good to me. More than I could ever
deserve. You have to understand that I don’t want to…” She stopped, choosing
instead to burrow her face in his neck, tear spiked lashes wetting his skin as
she dropped kisses on his shoulder.

Cole tilted her chin and brought his lips to her soft warm mouth.
He couldn’t help it. Noelle was like a drug to him. The moment he came in and
saw her on the bed, his cock sprang to life with thoughts of tearing away the
sheet and pushing her legs apart while she slept flickering through his mind. He
wanted to see her reaction as she came, awakened crying out her orgasm and
feeling his cum heating her womb.

“You need me, don’t you?”
Cole slid his hand beneath the
covers and cupped her sex, slipping his fingers between her soft folds,
moisture greeting his touch.

She bit her lips and raised her hips. “I always need you. Will
always crave the way you make me feel with your shaft.”

Her words caressed his heart. How the fuck did he get so lucky to
have her? If Noelle didn’t want to talk and sought comfort from having his cock
sliding into her needy cunt, then so be it.

Her fingers went to his shirt and Cole smiled to himself. He
loved how Noelle was always so enthusiastic for his touch, ready to accept him
inside her body. Once his clothes were removed, Cole pushed back the sheet and
saw that she was naked beneath the covers. His cock throbbed. Simply heaven,
coming home to a naked Noelle ready and waiting for him after a hard day. The
thought of how he would shove into her and fuck until all the damn stress was
gone and he didn’t have to think about anything save for how good Noelle looked
with his cock inside her was almost enough to make him come inside his pants.

Placing his legs on either side of Noelle, Cole straddled her,
careful not to place his full weight on her delicate frame. With one hand
fisting a lock of hair, the other closed over her left breast, kneading the
supple flesh. She let out a soft sigh as he stroked a fingertip over a thick dark
nipple. Her tits were so damn pretty and full. He released her hair, closed his
hands over the side of her breasts and squeezed them together. God in heaven,
the valley between them looked so tight, he could see it gripping his prick
almost as sweet as her cunt.