13. Cole
Thirteen
Cole
The warm blanket of safety surrounding my heart and mind is shattered by a pounding on the door.
Sal’s large arm flies from where he held me. We both sit up in a panic.
His dark hair is askew from sleep, and his eyes bloodshot.
“Cole!”
It’s Anthony’s voice from outside my door!
I glance at the clock; it’s eight in the morning.
“Wait here,” I tell him as I stumble out of bed.
I don’t bother glancing back but close the bedroom door and shuffle to the front door.
There’s another round of pounding and I swing the door open leaving Anthony mid knock wearing the most worried expression.
“You’re alive!”
I blink a couple times trying to process what his words mean.
“I thought something bad happened to you!”
The way the worry washes from him and is replaced with the most unabashed grin, I frown at him.
“I’m alive.”
“More than alive,” he says, crossing his arms. “Alive and well I see.”
Huh?
I’m too exhausted and relaxed and scared to understand what he’s saying.
“I called you a bunch and sent you a million texts.” He doesn’t sound angry, rather relieved. “Usually you text me back in a minute or less.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
I try to remember where my phone is. When did I have it last?
Something falls in my bedroom behind me and it makes me straighten upright like a board.
“Is Danny here?!”
My mind reels. What made him think of Danny? Didn’t he see me leave with the boss man?
“I…”
Anthony rolls his eyes. “He’s treating you well? I know this is what you’ve wanted for so long.”
I know I’ve complained regularly about Danny but has my desperation been that obvious? I don’t recall saying anything to that effect.
I nod. “Yeah, it’s been a really good weekend.”
“You deserve it.”
He holds out his fist and I bump it.
“Thanks, man.”
“Okay, I won’t keep you away from your man anymore.”
I should tell him the truth. He’s my best friend.
However, Sal is our boss. Admitting we’ve had sex more than a few times could get him into some serious trouble. I bet it could undermine his work and mine.
Besides this is only a one time thing.
I can pretend it was Danny.
“Bye.”
“Bye.” I wave and he turns to leave.
Suddenly, I feel queasy. Lying to Anthony was not something I planned on doing, ever.
I push the guilt away, close the door and lock it.
When I open the bedroom door, Sal is reading a book wearing his thick framed glasses.
“Are those readers?”
Closing the book, he doesn’t answer my question, but grimaces.
“It’s not a big deal, people use them all the time.”
He removes them, sort of answering my question. Did I hurt his feelings? They look hot on him.
“Your neck…”
Oh. His glasses are not what he’s making that face about. Realization dawns on me and I race to the bathroom. My neck is covered in red marks.
“Oh god!”
Sal stands in the doorway behind me, regret set deep in his features.
He folds his arms across his chest.
“I know I said never to say sorry, but I am sorry.”
I rub at the marks, as if it will erase them. It doesn’t work. I drop my hands at my sides and scan myself over.
The big tee hangs to my mid thigh area and my hair’s a mess. Combined with the hickeys I look like a mess.
Sal saunters up behind me and wraps his arms around me, holding me.
I should be mad at him for littering my skin like this, right?
Instead, I giggle and open my neck for him to kiss me more because I’m obsessed. I need more of him. More of this.
“Can we get back into bed?” I whine.
His soft chuckle against my neck makes my ass perk automatically.
“Are you ready for more?”
My asshole twitches at the question.
“Hell no.”
I love the sound of his laughter. It’s like basking in the sunshine after a storm.
“Then let’s go cuddle.”
And so we cuddle for at least another hour tucked away from the world.
We lay on our sides and face one another. At one point he burrows his head into my chest and I wrap myself around him.
He’s massive and I love running my hands along his shoulders and side.
We lay in my bed together for a while as the sun casts beams through the shades. First he holds me and I’m faced away from him. It feels like an eternity as our breathing is the only sound in the room. There’s comfort in the quiet, though. Peace.
The long tug in my chest eventually releases and morphs from comfort to worry. Fear and an acute awareness that this will soon end. There will be a point in time when I’m clacking away on my keyboard from my desk, wishing like crazy I could niggle back in time to this moment.
“Hey.” His voice pulls me from my spiraling thoughts. “Come here, Cole.”
Turning my head, we’re nose to nose. His dark eyes are brown with little specks of brown and they momentarily close the mental worries and my chest feels lighter. My head starts to float when he gently brings his soft lips to peck mine.
Has he read my thoughts?
I love how steady his arms are around me. Slowly he helps me roll to my other side so we’re face to face and we spend the next hour and a half kissing and letting our hands roam across each one anther’s bodies, slipping undershirts and underwear.
* * *
The rest of the weekend goes by in a blur despite my best efforts to drag it out as long as possible.
Tuesday morning is spent trying to recall the little moments that are captured in my heart.
Jesus, that’s so cheesy.
But it’s true.
Sal held the door open for me everywhere we went. His eyes sparkled when I cooked for him. Those big hands trailed along my skin and he held me every chance he got.
I thought my ass was wrecked but it was eager and ready to take more of him. And on top of that he even sucked me until I came Monday night before he went home.
Last night I had to take cold medicine to finally fall asleep because by one am I was wired and lonely. The bed felt so wrong without his broad shoulders eating up the space.
I would facepalm myself but I’ve got an iced coffee in one hand and a toasted bagel in a brown paper bag in the other. Treats to help me cope with the sinking feeling that’s rested in my stomach since he left my place.
I walk into the office and everyone’s wearing the most dreary expressions. I guess today has the Monday vibes after a long weekend.
“Someone looks refreshed,” Anthony says, wiggling his eyebrows at me.
“Yeah yeah,” I mutter, setting down my treats.
Removing my navy backpack, I unpack my laptop and notebook. Occasionally I’ll work from home to wrap up a project or get a couple extra hours in.
However, nothing of that sort was accomplished this weekend.
I glance up at Sal’s office eager to meet those dark eyes. But the shades are closed…
I don’t let it discourage me. We’re just coworkers who spent a weekend screwing and cuddling. It’s out of our systems so he won’t get fired and I’ll be able to move on and find a nice guy.
“Do you and Danny want to come for dinner tomorrow night?”
Sitting down in my swivel chair, I bite my bottom lip.
“Is it too soon?”
“No, no…”
Fuck.
I meet those friendly eyes.
I should tell him the truth.
But then my phone buzzes. I’m so stupid because I find my heart hoping it’s Sal saying screw it, let’s do it. Let’s be together.
I whip out my phone and dread bubbles in my chest. It’s Danny.
Danny: I’m sorry for being an asshole. Can we have dinner soon?
Friday morning, this would have sent me to the moon and back. Now, though?
It doesn’t ease the dread gnawing at me. Instead, it adds to it like a thick layer of tar.
I just want Sal. I glance at the shutters. I can’t have him.
Me: okay, dinner with Anthony tomorrow night
Danny: sounds good. What time should I pick you up?
I work out the details and try to act excited every time Anthony smiles at me. Which is way too often. The sinking sensation in my chest stops for a moment when Sal steps out into the main area and announces a last minute work meeting.
Why at four in the afternoon when everyone’s wrapping their day up?
Begrudgingly we all shuffle into the conference room.
Anthony and I sit at the back where we normally stand.
My heart pounds in my chest like a drum. What’s happening? Is he confessing we hooked up? I get my denial speech ready in my head. I’ll say that I have a boyfriend. That Sal has too much integrity to do anything crazy.
Sal stands at the front and looks around the room. The dark framed glasses make him look older than he is, in a good way. It adds to his air of sophistication.
I freeze when his gaze lands on me, but it flits away quickly.
“I want to thank you all for doing such a fantastic job with your clients. I’ve purchased gas cards for everyone as well as two extra days of PTO.”
Smiles beam around the room. Those really are generous gifts.
“We’ve got a couple of big projects coming up so if there’s anyone who is wrapping up things now and will be available at the beginning of next month, please stop in my office tomorrow and let me know if you’re free. Have a good night.”
Sal nods to everyone with a tight lipped smile, then leaves the room, my gaze following him and resting on the empty space for too long.
Quick and to the point. That’s his MO when it comes to office business.
Completely unlike how he is when he’s touching my body… I cut my thoughts short.
“Dude, this is so cool!” Anthony reaches across the table to grab one of the gift cards from the neat rows of them. “I can take my lady on a nice little get away with those extra days off.”
I nod and smile for him. While I feel empty inside, I don’t want him to think something is off. “I can help you plan it.”
“You got it buddy,” he says with a smile.
I grab the last card available and go back to my desk and wrap up the work day.