Chapter 37
COLE
Having left the restrooms at the Chase Center after the greatest exhibition game that’s ever been played, I make my way toward Yasmine, who has clearly met someone she knows and is laughing and chatting with someone I can’t quite make out.
Tonight wasn’t just great because of the basketball; it was because I’m with Yasmine.
She makes everything so much better. The air feels lighter, the stars seem brighter, and my whole mood switches to high definition when she’s around.
For a while there, I genuinely thought I would never have the capacity to let someone into my life again, and yet here I am on a date with someone I could see myself spending the rest of my life with.
I’m unsure if it’s healthy to feel this way so quickly, but my intuition solely points to her. It’s a profound, indescribable feeling that resembles contentment. I don’t just feel that in my chest; I feel it everywhere, even when I’m not with her.
Not that I would tell her that. The last thing I want to do is scare her off.
As I push through the loud crowd who are walking out of the arena to get to her, my mood flicks from happiness to anger in a heartbeat when someone moves out of my way in front of me and I zero-in on the one person I could happily never see again. Forever would be too soon.
My focus hardens when I realize Yasmine is speaking to him.
How does she know him?
“When I saw you courtside I knew I had to come and ask you for your number,” the fuckwit tells Yasmine, looking like the cat that got the cream.
I bet he fucking did. What he means is that he saw her with me, and that’s why he’s talking to her now.
My anger settles squarely on the man who ended my previous relationship, and as I approach, he doesn’t react at all. No remorse, no regret or shame.
He just tilts his chin, as if the last time I saw him, his cock buried in my girlfriend at the time, didn’t matter. “Cole.”
I ignore him completely, and wrap my arm around Yasmine’s waist. “Are you ready to go, baby?”
“I’m sorry but you’re not getting my number because as you can see, I’m taken,” she says sweetly, unaware of who he is to me.
“That’s a pity. Do you come to the games often?” the sleazing bastard says in a honey-toned voice that makes me want to throw up while my blood boils in my veins.
Don’t react. Stay calm, Cole.
My fist clenches by my side. What he wants is to get a reaction from me. But I refuse to let him rattle me.
“Eh, like I said. I’m taken,” Yasmine replies as politely as possible.
“Right, I can see that now,” he replies while staring at me, and I give him the coldest cold shoulder I’ve ever given anyone in my life.
Yasmine raises a brow in confusion, looking between Luca and me. “I’m guessing you two know each other?” she asks, observantly.
“No,” I say as he replies, “Yes.”
Yasmine’s brows furrow as she scoffs, “Okay. Well, this is awkward.” She moves from one foot to the other as if uncomfortable.
As am I. I don’t want to be anywhere near him and would rather eat a shit sandwich than to have to talk to him ever again.
Yasmine fills the dead space. “Are you okay?” she asks.
“Great. Let’s go.” My smile is tight.
I squeeze Yasmine’s waist a little, urging her to move as she gives him an awkward smile goodbye.
“Cole. I’m sorry,” Luca says from behind me, sounding pained, but I know him. He’s an insincere fuckfaced idiot.
“I’m not interested,” I bite back, taking one step then another, staring at the side of Yasmine’s face until she looks at me, and I hope she gets the message I’m giving by widening my eyes, begging us to go.
“I’d still like your number, sweetheart,” Luca calls out sarcastically, his voice laced with sadistic pleasure before he chuckles to himself.
Rage burns over every inch of my skin, and before I can even think about what I’m doing, I’ve spun around. The neckline of his T-shirt is scrunched between my fist, and I’ve shoved him against the wall at breakneck speed, punching all the air from his lungs.
“You stay the fuck away from her. You hear me?” I say, my words coming out in short, sharp, loud bursts.
The fucktard holds up his hands in surrender. “Fuck, man, I was only joking.”
If I punch the treacherous bastard, I’ll lose my license to practice law.
And he’s not worth it.
I tilt my head menacingly to the side, running my tongue along my top teeth.
“If you even think about looking her up, so help me, God, Luca, I will drag your company into the ground.” He’s lucky I didn’t do it the first time.
“A little bird told me you’ve been borrowing money from trust accounts.
” We do the same job, only I keep my nose clean.
“I’d watch it if I were you. One call is all it would take for me to bring you down. ”
Redness creeps up the skin of his neck as I pin him harder against the wall, before I move my hand to his throat and tighten my fingers around it, restricting his airway.
He changes to a strange purple-red hue I’ve never seen before as he gasps and fights for breath.
I continue with steady pressure, enjoying the sensation of his pulse weakening under my fingertips.
I increase the pressure on his neck. “Are we clear?” I bare my teeth, my anger for this man overwhelming me.
He croaks hoarsely, “Yes,” then his eyes roll back into his head.
“Great.” I shove myself off him, releasing my grip as I do.
Coughing and spluttering, he bends at the waist, taking deep breaths of fresh air.
I straighten myself out, dusting down my T-shirt, my blood boiling hotter than hell.
Keeping my voice steady, I make my way to Yasmine and push my fingers through hers, my blood cooling at her touch.
Fuck, I shouldn’t have done that.
Now she’ll think I’m a jerk. A violent one. When I’m anything but.
“Cole?” Yasmine says, sounding confused, flustered, and slightly mad at me.
I keep my voice low as we move quickly out of the arena. “I’ll explain outside. Just trust me when I tell you he’s not a good guy.”
She looks over her shoulder, through the space between us. “Okay.”
Seconds later, we’re outside, and she lets go of my hand and spins around to face me.
“Explain what the hell that was exactly, Cole?” She folds her arms across her middle and pops a hip.
Shit. I might have blown this with her.
Why the fuck did Luca have to show up tonight, when I haven’t seen him for years?
All I want to do is impress Yasmine, and spend time with the one woman who is the only one who ever truly mattered to me.
I shove my hands in my pockets and arch my neck back to look at the sky for some assistance before I say, “Do you remember I told you my ex slept with my best friend?” I told her the whole sordid tale on the Wildcard app.
“Yeah.” Confusion turns to realization, the penny dropping, when her mouth makes the shape of an O. “Oh. That’s the best friend?”
“Yeah. I haven’t seen him since the day I caught them together.”
“Right, well, now I understand why you went crazy back there.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. If I had known, I would have punched him in the nuts for you myself.” The strength in her words makes me laugh, especially when she scowls and does a little fake punch.
“I’m sorry I lost it.” That’s not who I am. “But the way he kept pressing you for your number was too much and I hated it.” He was fucking with me, I know he was, but still, he fucked me over once, and I won’t allow that to happen again.
Yasmine closes the gap between us with two short steps. “It was kinda hot.” She rests her arms on top of my shoulders and my hands find her waist. She feels so good in my hands.
“Yeah?” How many times is she going to keep on surprising me? She thinks me threatening someone was hot.
“Yeah, and I liked how you protected me from him.”
Well, that’s a relief. My body relaxes. “I will always protect what’s mine, Yasmine.”
“Am I yours?” she asks breathlessly with a small uncertain smile, which annoys me more than it should because clearly I haven’t done a good enough job to show her that.
“Do you want to be mine?” She doesn’t need to answer; I already know she does.
“Today, tomorrow, always. Yes, I do, Cole.”
Well, damn. I’m finished. Just bury me now.