Chapter 12
CHAPTER 12
brEE
She stays at Darlene’s place until late afternoon, enjoying a few glasses of wine and chatting with her. She heads back to her cabin just as the sun begins to set.
They didn’t talk at all about her upcoming interview or what happened at Green Woods Facility, and Bree is thankful for a day where she can relax and be herself.
She doesn’t think about her mother. She doesn’t think about her father or her job.
And she certainly doesn’t think about Cole until she fumbles with the keys to her cabin and drops them on the floor.
Shit. She’s tipsy.
When she successfully unlocks the door and steps inside, she texts Darlene to let her know she made it home okay. It was barely a five-minute walk to Darlene’s place, and it was in the daytime, but her new friend still insisted.
She pours herself a glass of water, then heads upstairs to relax. Collapsing on the bed, she closes her eyes and tries to doze.
But her mind is too preoccupied with thoughts of Cole.
She wonders where they would have had dinner. She wonders what their conversation would have been like.
He had offered to discuss her article with her—would he have been genuinely interested?
She still doesn’t know why he was at the prison that day—maybe, if she had asked him over dinner, he would have told her.
It doesn’t help that his scent still lingers in her memory.
She’ll miss it. It will be the scent she imagines the next time she touches herself?—
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Her eyes snap open and she sits up at the sudden noise.
She peers out at the window despite already knowing who is at the door.
A sleek black car sits next to hers in the driveway—there’s only one person it could belong to.
Even as her heart thuds excitedly in her chest, she chooses to ignore the knocking and flop back down onto the bed, sighing as her head hits the pillow.
If she closes her eyes, he’ll go away, even if she secretly doesn’t want him to.
Tipsy Bree likes being pursued. Tipsy Bree is honored that he’s put in this much work just for a date.
But sober Bree never told him her address.
She sits back up with a start, inhibitions disappearing as she thunders down the stairs, ready to confront him.
How does he know her address?
She unlocks the door, swings it open, and is momentarily stunned by him.
Dressed in a dark grey suit, he’s too handsome for his own good. His clothing is tailored to perfection, emphasizing his slim waist and muscular chest. He’s fit, but not too bulky, and she gapes at him longer than she should. His hair is slightly slicked back, the tuft that fell into his forehead earlier now controlled and polished.
He doesn’t belong in Green Woods.
With that wicked grin and piercing eyes, he belongs on a cover of a magazine.
She suddenly feels inadequate with her lackluster hair and cheap clothes, but her insecurities don’t stop her annoyance.
“I didn’t give you my address,” she snaps as a greeting.
His smile slightly falls, but then he hands her the delicate bouquet of white roses he was holding. “And you didn’t tell me the truth,” he replies, stepping through the door despite her look of indignation. “You’re not sick. And, judging by your scent, you’ve been drinking.” His eyes narrow, and a flush spreads up her neck.
She scoffs. “So? What are you even doing here? You can’t just walk in!” she points at the door. “You need to go. And here, take these.” She tries to hand the bouquet back to him.
He tilts his head slightly, ignoring the flowers. “How much have you had to drink? And who were you drinking with?” he asks quietly, his voice low.
There’s a warning in his tone, but she doesn’t care to listen. The wine makes her brave.
“I was with my boyfriend,” she grits out, and his eyes darken. “And it’s not your business how much I drank.”
The corner of his lip quirks. “Boyfriend, huh?” The darkness doesn’t leave his eyes. “First a husband, now a boyfriend…what do I have to do to be a part of your harem?” he muses.
She swallows. “Get out.”
“That’s not very polite,” he purrs, taking a step closer to her. She tries to move back, but she’s frozen, breathing in his scent. “I’m here to pick you up for our date. ”
She shakes her head. “We don’t have a date. And earlier you said it wasn’t?—"
“And fortunately for every other man on this earth, you’re an awful liar. So, no one has to die tonight.”
She blinks. Maybe she did pass out on her bed, because there’s no way she heard him correctly.
But before she can question him, he carries on. “You look lovely, by the way,” he murmurs. “That color suits you.”
She clutches the bouquet of roses like a lifeline, desperate to snap out of the trance his scent is pulling her into.
“Have dinner with me,” he whispers, his voice gentle and his eyes soft. “Let me enjoy your company, Breana. Just for tonight.”
“I never told you my name,” she chokes out. “How did you know my name?”
“Bree is short for Breana,” he says tenderly, as if explaining something simple to a child. “Unless I’m wrong?”
No, he’s not wrong, and she was ridiculous for thinking otherwise.
She should just go to dinner with him. Even Darlene thought it was a good idea.
“No one’s ever bought me roses before,” she murmurs. “Especially not white roses.”
He grins in triumph, satisfied that he’s won.
“White roses symbolize new beginnings,” he says. “I thought it was fitting.”
She stares at the flowers in her hand. “A new beginning? What do you mean?”
But he doesn’t answer her. Instead, he takes the bouquet and places it on the end table near the door. “Our reservation is in an hour. Are you ready to go?”
“I don’t have my purse?—”
“You don’t need your purse.”
“Well, I do, because?— ”
But Cole reaches out and takes her hand in his, and she stops breathing. His hand is cool, and his fingers intertwine with hers.
It’s intimate, and she stares at their hands, entranced.
“You don’t need your purse,” he murmurs as his eyes burn into hers. “Just come with me.”
Her head is spinning.
Obey Alpha!
It physically hurts to argue with him, and when she nods, she’s rewarding with another one of his charming smiles. She barely registers him grabbing her set of keys and locking the door behind him as he leads her to his car. He opens the passenger door for her, and even helps her inside, like a true gentleman.
It isn’t until the engine has purred to life and they’re down the street that she realizes he used his Alpha Influence on her.