Hot SEAL, April's Fool by Becca Jameson (smart books to read .txt) 📗

cute together. It’s like old times. It’s too bad you weren’t able to stay together after high school. I always thought you two would get married and have ten babies by now.”

Cole’s body tensed. Instead of responding to Violet, he turned toward April. “Let’s get out of here. I’m exhausted.”

April smiled up at him, taking his cue. “Excellent idea.” She tried not to smirk as his hand slid to hers and he led her away from the funeral home. He never once acknowledged Violet, which was just fine with April. Let the woman stand there gawking with her mouth hanging open. Cole had never been hers, and he never would be.

Cole drove back to April’s apartment without saying anything. His fingers gripped the steering wheel so hard it was a wonder he didn’t break it. She figured he was about to explode with frustration after everything that had transpired and she couldn’t blame him. He’d done an amazing job faking like all was well in paradise for the last several hours.

The moment they stepped back into April’s apartment, he grabbed her around the waist and pressed her against the door. His hands came up to frame her face, and he angled his head to the side and kissed her.

Her breath caught and her body softened for him. She melted, as she always had when he kissed her like this. He knew it too. She wanted him. Perhaps more than she ever had.

When his hands slid to her shoulders, he held her tight as if she might disappear if he let go.

“Cole…” she murmured as his lips moved to her neck and then her ear.

“Ladybug…”

She smiled. The first time he called her that yesterday, she wanted to deck him. Now… God. She wanted him to slide his hands under her skirt and touch her the way she remembered him stroking her body when he called her by that nickname in that tone.

He didn’t though. He kept his hands on her shoulders, even though she knew it was difficult for him. His fingers were digging into her.

By the time he pulled back, breathing heavily, she was a hot mess. He held her gaze, his body pressing firmly against hers. He’d been intense when they had sex in high school, but his look was beyond that now. He looked more like he wanted to completely consume her. And she mostly agreed.

Finally, she found a brain cell and looked away, breaking the undeniable connection. He’d left her. Left town. Not a single word. Nothing. Just gone. She couldn’t just melt into him and let him steal her heart without discussing what happened ten years ago.

Maybe he’d gotten scared. Cold feet. But why? She’d never pressured him. They’d never discussed the future in great detail. Their conversations had always been vague. She’d known he was going into the Navy, and she’d been heading for college. She’d expected them to maintain the long-distance thing because she hadn’t been able to picture it any other way.

When he disappeared, she’d been devastated. As the days went by and she realized he was never coming back, she’d decided that he hadn’t wanted what she’d visualized. Maybe he’d thought it would be easier to cut things off instead of trying to make it work.

It was his silent disappearance that really cut into her heart though. He could have talked to her. Told her he didn’t think it would work. Instead, he’d asked her to dinner, made a date with her, and not shown up.

To this day, she still didn’t understand why he’d done it like that. The restaurant he’d made reservations at had been way above their usual cheap fare. April had gotten dressed up. She’d been excited. She’d even speculated with her friends at lunch that day that she thought he might propose.

And then nothing. He didn’t show up at her house to pick her up. When she called, he didn’t answer. She even called the restaurant. She’d been able to confirm their reservation but he hadn’t shown up there either.

For a few hours, she’d thought the worst, that he’d gotten in a car accident or been killed. Every morbid thing she could imagine. Finally, she’d called Rodney. Rodney had tracked Cole down at his house and called April back to confirm that Cole was alive and well but leaving early in the morning and had a lot to do to get ready.

April’s heart had seized that night. She’d slumped to the floor with the phone in her hand and cried. She considered driving to Cole’s and confronting him, but forced herself not to.

Had there been a misunderstanding? No. Not a chance. They’d discussed that date several times over the previous week. She’d known he was due to leave for the Navy the following Saturday, but he’d said nothing about bumping it up sooner. He’d even confirmed that morning, cheerfully saying he would pick her up at seven.

April had eventually crawled into bed after midnight, still wearing her dress, having cried for so long that she had no more tears. She hadn’t gotten out of bed the next day, not even when her mother tried to talk to her. She’d moped around for a week until Rodney came by and explained everything he knew which wasn’t much. He’d been as perplexed as April.

The two of them started a friendship that summer and stayed in touch. They’d been friends for years, but peripherally. Rodney had always been more like Cole’s friend who hardly glanced at April. That changed. He called to check on her every month or so that first year, and when he came home for summer, he finally asked her out.

“April?”

April flinched, yanking herself out of the memories when Cole called her name.

“You okay? Seemed like you went somewhere else.”

“Yeah.” She’d definitely gone somewhere else. Understatement.

He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “I’m sorry about today. I hate that you got tangled in my shit.”

“Don’t worry about it. Glad I could be there to support you.”

He reached for