CHAPTER 26
Sonnie
“Have you been crying?”
I yelped and jumped when Cole spoke directly next to my ear. Clutching my chest, I looked up at him and scowled. “You scared the hell out of me! Where’d you come from?”
He gripped my arms and pulled me off the couch. “I wasn’t quiet. You were lost in thought. You’ve been crying, haven’t you?”
I looked over at Rosie on the other couch, but she was slumped over, taking a much needed nap. There was a blanket on the back of the couch and I pulled away from Cole to grab it and cover Rosie. I didn’t want to disturb her so I left the living room and found myself being pulled upstairs. Cole glanced back at me and searched my face. Judging by the frown on his, he wasn’t pleased with what he saw.
“You need a nap, too.” He pulled me into a massive bedroom that had more wall-to-wall windows and a view that took my breath away. The bed in the middle of the room was massive and it looked like a giant cloud. The colors in the room were neutral and the space was minimalistic, letting the view do most of the work. Instantly, I felt slightly less on edge.
Cole grabbed the hem of my shirt and lifted it over my head, but instead of stopping to appreciate that I wasn’t wearing a bra, he pushed my shorts down and nodded to the bed. I hesitated. “I should shower. I didn’t shower after this morning…”
He pulled the blanket down and nodded at it. “Get in the bed, Sonnie.”
I frowned but did as he said. Just when I thought he was going to leave me, he tugged off his own clothes and climbed in behind me. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tight. My heart immediately beat faster and my body responded to his even as my eyes grew heavy.
“What made you cry?” His voice was soft against my shoulder. “Don’t try to deny it, either. Your poor eyes are bright red. So is your nose.”
I groaned. “Great. I look like Rudolph.”
“Enough, Sonnie.” He softened his voice and sighed. “I don’t like that you’re crying while we’re not here. Especially when it’s probably our fault.”
“Jerry fired me. Not in those words, but I can’t come back in until things calm down.” I turned to face him. “I checked my website to see if I got any new baking orders and I had dozens.”
“That’s really great.” He saw my face and swore. “It’s not great? What happened?”
“They were all just jokes. People placed orders just to insult me.” I buried my face against his chest and inhaled his warm scent. “I’m scared. If it was just me, I’d still be upset, but I could handle it. I have Rosie, though. I can’t let anything happen to her. She never got to have a normal life and she deserves to. She’s a good kid. I’m failing and I don’t know what to do.”
Cole held me even tighter and stroked my hair. “None of the shit happening right now is your fault, Sonnie. We should’ve protected you. We got caught up in how we’re feeling for you and we weren’t careful. We won’t let anything happen to you. We figured you wouldn’t be able to go back to the bar just yet. We’ll help with whatever you need. We said we’d take care of you while you fake date us.”
I swallowed and pulled away. After sleeping with them, fake dating them for money felt wrong. It made me feel as cheap as people seemed to think I was. “I don’t want money for sleeping with you.”
“That’s not what I’m fucking suggesting, Sonnie.” He rolled us over so he was on top of me and stared down at me with a stern expression. “Do you really think I’m offering to pay you for sex?”
I pushed at his chest, feeling stupid and angry, but he caught my hands and pinned them over my head. I tried to struggle but he just rested his weight on me until I gave up. I growled out my frustration. “Fine! No, I don’t think you’re offering to pay me for sex. Everyone already thinks I’m a whore, though, and I don’t know what to do or think right now.”
“Fuck those people. I was your first, last night, baby. What happens between us is because we want you and you want us. There’s nothing wrong with that. I like you and I want to spend time with you and get to know you better. It may not be typical but it is what it is.” He winced when I shifted my legs under him. “I’m not trying to take advantage of you right now, Sonnie, so please stop moving.”
I felt his heavy length press against my leg and spread my legs wider, taking his weight against my core. “You’re not taking advantage of me.”
He gritted his teeth. “I want to spend time with you, time outside of a bed, too.”
I nodded. “I have nothing but time now. I don’t know what I’m doing anymore, Cole, but this feels right. Just…give me this. Please.”
He shifted his grip so he held my wrists in just one hand and reached between us to grip his length and press into my sex. “Say you’ll stay with us and let us help.”
I gasped as he pressed just his tip inside of me. “Cole!”
He pulled out. “I’m serious, Sonnie. I don’t want to lose a chance at something real with you, if that’s what this is. Please tell me you’ll stay.”
I searched his face and saw how serious he was being. He held my gaze and I could see so much raw need in his eyes, that I nodded. “Okay. Okay, I’ll stay.”
He thrust his full length into me and clamped his mouth over mine to swallow my loud moan. He stroked his hand up my side and cupped my breast as he lifted his mouth from mine and looked at me. “You feel like you were made for me. Every part of you fits perfectly.”
I squeezed his hips between my thighs and arched my back. “Cole, it’s so good. Please, fuck me.”
He pulled out and thrust deep again, circling his hips before repeating the motion. His hand squeezed my breast and then he ducked his head to take my nipple into his mouth. He sucked hard while taking me harder.
I tugged to get my hands free, needing to touch him, but his eyes moved up to mine and he lifted his mouth to smirk at me. I moaned and tugged harder, but his grip didn’t budge.
“You won’t always be in control, baby. I’ll always take care of you, though.” He kissed me then while driving his length into me faster. The angle had him hitting a spot in me that made my eyes roll back in my head. He kissed me harder and stroked his tongue over mine, devouring my cries of pleasure.
I felt my body erupt in hot tingles and my toes curled tight as an orgasm bloomed bright inside me. My limbs tightened and my sex pulsed with each stroke from Cole. I sucked in a sharp breath and broke the kiss so I could bite down on his shoulder to stay quiet. He growled and gripped my ass as he thrust harder until he rasped my name and I felt his come filling me. My orgasm shattered me as I came with him and left me gasping for breath.
He pressed his forehead to my shoulder and kissed my hot skin over and over again. “Fuck, Sonnie. It’s better each time.”
I went limp under him and groaned. “Does that mean it wasn’t great the first time?”
He lifted his head and looked at me. “No. It means I’ve never had better. Sex with you is special.”
I swallowed a lump in my throat and bit my lip. Was that something he’d just say? Or was he serious? I thought the sex was off the charts amazing, but I had more experience with myself and toys.
Gently kissing me, Cole shifted his grip on my wrists to interlace his fingers with mine. “Maybe a better man would let you go, but I can’t.”
I wrapped my free arm around him so I could stroke his back. “I don’t know what to say to that.”
He kissed down my jaw and hovered over my ear. “Don’t say anything. Just know I’ll take care of you. Got it?”
My heart sped up but I ignored the anxiety that crept in the dark corners of my mind. “Whatever you say. Where’d Price and Drake go, by the way?”
Cole’s shit-eating grin was too sexy for words. “They stopped to pick up some stuff at the store.”
“And they dropped you off?”
He laughed. “Nope. I took a car to my truck and came straight here. I don’t like shopping. I do like you. It seemed like a simple enough solution. If they had to spend a few extra minutes looking for me in the store while I got to spend some time alone with you, that’s just too bad.”
My mouth fell open. “You did not!”
“I did. I was desperate.” He rolled us over so I was on top of him. “I’m not sorry. If I’d just gotten to hold you while you napped, I would’ve been happy, but now I’m downright smug. I’m a genius.”
The bedroom door swung open and Price stormed in. Glaring at Cole, he shook his head. “You’re an asshole. Get out of my room.”
I rolled off of Cole and pulled the blanket over my head. “I didn’t know anything until two seconds ago! I’m an innocent bystander.”
“Hardly.” Cole snorted and raised his voice. “Oh, Cole, yes! Sex me up while your friends search for you at the store!”
I laughed and then squeaked when he reached under the blanket to tickle me. His hand disappeared and then he grunted before Price reached into the blanket and grabbed me. He pulled me out and easily tossed me over his shoulder while I laughed and swatted at him.
“Go help Drake unload the truck, dickhead. I’m going to do the gentlemanly thing and wash you off of Sonnie.” Price slapped my ass and carried me towards his bathroom. “She’s too pretty to stink like you.”