Cole's Mistake (Haven, Texas 8)

“Why aren’t you calling an ambulance?” Cole snapped. “She just about drowned. Never mind, it will be quicker if I drive. Wrap the towel around her and come on.”

“I wasn’t drowning,” Keira stated just as Julian reached for her, snatching her from Cole’s arms.

“What?” Cole looked between them both. She winced as she saw that he’d jumped in fully clothed, his dark blue shirt and expensive-looking slacks were saturated. Crap. He’d obviously thought she was in trouble and had dived in to save her.

Unnecessary, but sweet all the same.

Um, sweet? Yeah, probably not the word most people would use to describe Cole Saxon. Driven. Smart. Deadly. Gorgeous. Those words, yes. Sweet, no.

“Julian, put me down,” she requested in a soft voice. He was holding onto her firmly, but she got the feeling he’d forgotten he was even holding her. He blinked, helped her stand, and she grabbed the towel he held, wrapping it around herself. Adrenaline still flooded her, and she had to take a deep breath to calm herself as she shook.

“You need to get checked by a doctor, at least. You were under the water a long time.”

She looked from Cole to Julian, who wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to his side. “She’s fine. She does that all the time.”

“Does what all the time?” Cole asked suspiciously.

She glanced around for a towel to offer him, but they’d only brought one with them. Not that Cole seemed to notice he was dripping wet.

“She likes to float. She’s fine. She wasn’t drowning, you didn’t need to play hero.” There was a derisive note to Julian’s voice that made her wince. She didn’t think that was fair. She thought it was kind of nice that Cole had been worried about her. That he’d jumped in without a care because he thought she was in trouble.

“Keira? You were just floating?”

She nodded.

Cole put his hands on his hips, giving them both an exasperated look. “All right. So maybe I overreacted, however you were down there a long time and you weren’t moving and that worries me if you’re doing it a lot. What if you got into trouble while you’re alone?”

“She’s never alone.”

Cole’s eyebrows came together, his look thoughtful. “Yeah, I can see that. Keira, I want to hear from you that you’re all right.”

She stiffened. Then she forced a smile. “Of course, I am. Like Julian said, I like to float.”

“When I grabbed you, you panicked. You were fighting me like you thought I’d hurt you.”

“You frightened me. I didn’t know who you were.”

Cole’s frown deepened, and Julian stiffened. Shoot.

“You should really get a towel and dry off before you catch a cold,” she told him. “I’ll go get you one.”

Julian held her back. “He can get his own towel.”

“But we have plenty in the guest house. Julian . . .” she gave him a look.

He shook his head but sighed. “Fine. You can come get a towel.”

“Thank you.” Cole watched them both carefully. She wasn’t sure what he was thinking. At one time, she knew him almost as well as she did Julian. As his PA they’d spent a lot of time together. But now, he was almost a stranger. He looked the same. But she didn’t think he was the man she’d known before. That Cole would already be firing out demands and making assumptions. Not quietly watching and waiting.

She didn’t know what to make of this Cole. And she suspected Julian felt the same. When they reached the guest house, Cole stopped at the doorway. She turned back to look at him.

“Don’t want to drip water all through the house,” he explained.

“Oh, it’s okay,” she told him. “I can mop it up.”

Julian was stiff and silent beside her, but he didn’t protest Cole coming in. She quickly moved to grab him a towel. She didn’t want to leave the two of them alone for long.

“Thanks, sweetheart,” he told her in a low voice. Their hands brushed as she passed him the towel and a little shock ran across her skin.